Off-duty FBI agent fatally shoots man during fight at crowded D.C. train station, police say

An off-duty FBI agent fatally shot a man following a dispute inside a bustling Washington, D.C., train station Wednesday evening, police said.

The agent was at the Metro Center station when he got into an altercation with the suspect, identified as Troy Bullock, 28, of southeast D.C., just after 6:20 p.m., police said.

During the argument, Bullock “pushed” the agent backward and they both fell down an 8-foot drop over a side wall, located away from the train tracks at the end of the platform, and continued to struggle, Ashan Benedict, the executive assistant chief of police for Metropolitan Police Department, said in a news conference.

“Both of the individuals go off the side of the wall and that struggle continues. Shots end up being fired during that struggle,” Benedict said.

The off-duty veteran FBI special agent was the one who opened fire and Bullock was pronounced dead, Benedict said.

The FBI agent was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

It’s not clear what precipitated the argument.

When asked if the off-duty agent started the altercation, Benedict said, “doesn’t appear so, he appears to be the victim.”

Though police initially said Wednesday night they didn't recover another firearm, in a statement Thursday, police said a handgun was recovered from the suspect.

Police said there’s no threat to the train system and the Metropolitan Police Department will investigate with help from the FBI.

The sound of gunfire caused a scare at the station during busy rush hour.

Witness Lisa Crawford said her train pulled into Metro Center and what she saw was "like a zombie movie," she said to NBC Washington.

“People were running for their lives.”

Crawford said she yelled, “Everybody get down! Active shooter!" The train operator told passengers to exit.