Stephen Rattigan, 49, otherwise known by his alias Julius James, faces a litany of charges following the February 2024 shooting of Metropolitan Police Department officers, as announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and MPD Chief Pamela Smith. The indictment, handed down by the grand jury, includes six counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, among other significant charges. Rattigan is expected to stand before the Honorable Michael Ryan for arraignment yesterday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
According to the evidence presented by the government, Metropolitan Police Department officers went to Rattigan's residence at 5032 Hanna Place SE to arrest him. Despite announcing their presence and intention, officers were met with gunfire from Rattigan, which injured three of the responding officers. An indictment however, is merely an allegation and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Rattigan's indictment includes allegations of assault with significant bodily injury while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, among other charges.
After a prolonged standoff during which Rattigan demanded cigarettes and fired additional shots through his front door, he finally surrendered to the police. Post-arrest, a search warrant executed at his home revealed a cache of weapons and ammunition, including two AR-style rifles and large-capacity magazines, in addition to thirty-one dogs. The case, currently under investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department, is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Goldstein.
Rattigan, if convicted of the assault charges, is looking at a significant span of incarceration; a mandatory minimum of five years for each assault count and at least one year for each firearm in possession is on the table. While an arraignment was scheduled, the judicial process will confirm the extent of Rattigan's culpability. The search at his residence not only suggested a preparedness for violence but also uncovered an instance of cruelty to animals, adding a further dimension to the charges he faces.
