D.C. police have arrested the driver they say fatally struck an officer last month while he was helping a stranded motorist on Interstate 695, authorities said Friday.
Officer Terry Bennett, 32, a member of the force for eight years, was on duty the evening of Dec. 23 when he got out of his cruiser to help someone whose car had broken down on the highway, police said. A vehicle traveling at high speed hit the officer while he was on foot. He died in a hospital Wednesday.
Jerrold Coates, 47, of Northwest Washington, was charged Friday with second-degree murder. On Saturday, Coates appeared in D.C. Superior Court, where a judge ordered him held without bond.
Coates is an employee of the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation, according to police. A spokesperson for the parks department declined to comment on his job status.
D.C. Interim police chief Jeffery Carroll said at a news conference Friday that Bennett was dispatched around 9:49 p.m. to the eastbound lanes of I-695 near South Capitol Street, where a car that had run out of gas had been struck by another vehicle. The initial crash caused only minor damage, Carroll said, and the drivers exchanged information before the second car drove off.
Bennett stayed at the scene to help the driver who had run out of gas, deploying flares to warn passing drivers about the disabled vehicle. Carroll said investigators determined that Coates was driving erratically and attempting to change lanes through slow traffic when he struck Bennett. Coates uses a wheelchair and was driving a car equipped with handbrakes, Carroll said.
Coates remained in police custody Friday night and could not be reached for comment. Online court records do not list any attorney representing him.
Emergency medical technicians found Coates at the scene and administered naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid overdoses, Carroll said. He was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and released pending further investigation, Carroll said. He was arrested him around 12:30 p.m. Friday.
He has not been charged with driving under the influence, Carroll said, noting that investigators are still awaiting the results of toxicology tests on Coates.
“These cases are extremely difficult, and they are even more difficult when the victim is a member of the police department,” Carroll said. “While we’re grateful the suspect will now face accountability, we recognize there’s nothing we can do to bring back Officer Bennett. Our thoughts remain with Officer Bennett’s family. He’s survived by his wife, a 3-year-old son, his parents, family and friends.”
Bennett is the 12th D.C. police officer to die in the line of duty since 2004, according to D.C. police records. The last person was Wayne David, 51, who was killed in August 2024 when a gun that went off as he attempted to retrieve it from a storm drain.
Bennett, who was born and raised in the District, was a graduate of Ballou High School, according to D.C. police. After graduating from Bucknell University, police said, he joined the department in 2018. He was assigned to the 1st District upon his graduation from the police academy.
Bennett’s wife, Nadia Bennett, described him lovingly on a GoFundMe meant to raise money to help their 3-year-old son, Elijah.
“Some of Elijah’s happiest moments were the simplest ones — riding with his dad to the store, laughing in the car, or going on family trips,” Nadia Bennett wrote. “Terry was especially proud that, through his career as an MPD officer, he was able to take Elijah to Disney World twice before he even turned two. Those moments meant everything to him.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser said in statement Thursday that Bennett “tragically lost his life in the line of duty while doing what he was known to do — helping and caring for the people around him.”
“He was a father, a husband, and a beloved member of our community,” the mayor said. “A son of Washington, DC, Officer Bennett was deeply committed to his hometown and especially to our young people. Through coaching, mentorship, and public service, he impacted the lives of countless students and Washingtonians and he leaves behind a legacy of love and courage.”
An avid Commanders fan, Bennett also dedicated his time to coaching football at Ballou. To the students, head football coach Kenny Brown said, Bennett was “a mentor, he was a father figure, he was a hero.”
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