Maurica Manyan killed. We want Justice!

Maurica Manyan, a 25-year-old proud mother of a 4-year-old son and Library Police Officer, was fatally shot by retired Metropolitan Police Lieutenant Jesse Porter during a mandatory officer ASP Baton and Handcuffing Technique training class at the Anacostia Neighborhood Library in Washington D.C. on August 4, 2022.

Life for our family has changed forever. Jesse Porter, a civilian, reportedly said he was “joking” when he aimed his loaded-live weapon in a government building at Maurica, shooting her in the chest at point-blank range. Porter was escorted out of the library, taken to the Metropolitan Police Station (his former employer), booked and charged with Involuntarily Manslaughter and released several hours later as if he simply failed to fix a broken taillight. To add insult to injury, Jesse Porter is a free man, walking the streets despite taking the life of our loved one.

Our family has been forced to do what no family wants to. We must now figure out how to live life without our shining star. We now must figure out how to raise Maurice’s beautiful son while fighting for justice and answers. We humbly appeal to the public to financially assist us as we navigate a funeral, legal battle and the mounting cost associated with losing a loved one so quickly. We know the District of Columbia will not admit fault, and we already see the public threats made if witnesses and staff speak out about this incident. We’ve made note of how quickly the Library’s public safety director resigned in the face of what we believe to be clear policy violations. We will not allow Maurica’s death to be in vain. We are prepared to do whatever it takes to obtain Justice for Maurica, but we need your help.

We firmly believe that the District of Columbia failed Maurica by failing to provide a safe working environment. They allowed an armed gunman to enter a government building, and that gunman robbed us of our joy. He shot and killed Maurica. Our hearts will be forever broken.

Thank you in advance for your support, kind words, thoughts, and prayers.

The Manyan Family