267: John Kuchta – 1994 DC Metro Police Headquarters Ambush

Retired agent John Kuchta served in the FBI for 27 years.

In this episode, John Kuchta reviews the 1994 ambush at the DC Metro Police Headquarters where a gunman killed SAs Martha Dixon and Michael Miller, and MPD Sgt. Henry “Hank” Daly and John survived multiple gunshot wounds to the heart, liver, kidney, lung, arm and leg.

For his actions on November 22, 1994, he was awarded the FBI Star in recognition of serious injury and split second decision made under fire.

He was awarded the FBI Medal of Valor and U.S. Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism in recognition of exceptional acts of heroism involving the voluntary risk of personal safety and life performed in the line of duty in the face of a criminal encounter.

During his recovery, he served as a federal prosecutor. He later transferred to the Tampa Division, with assignments to Regional Command East in Afghanistan and as the Criminal Assistant Legal Attaché (ALAT) in London, England, for four years.

His career encompassed investigating violent crimes, drugs, gangs, crimes against children, white collar crime, political corruption, and national security matters.

He was awarded two U.S. Attorney Office Law Enforcement Officer of the Year recognitions, the FBI Combat Theatre Ribbon; the Anti-Defamation League Shield Award, a Florida State Attorney’s Office Law Officer of the Year Award; and a U.S. Attorney General’s Award for National Security Investigations

He retired from the FBI as the Senior Supervisory Resident Special Agent for Southwest Florida.

John is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University School of Law – Evening Division. He is a member of the Florida Bar and retired member of the Pennsylvania Bar. Currently. he is the Chief Security Officer of an aerospace company residing on Florida’s space coast with his wife of 31 years, the Honorable United States Magistrate Judge Helena M. Barch Kuchta.

Special Agent (Retired)

John Kuchta

4/21/1991 – 4/21/2018

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m up on my feet. I’m firing at him. He’s firing at me. We’re like feet apart. I’m getting hit in the arm, chest, and wrist. Initially, the bullets were burning, but they didn’t hurt… Then a bullet hits my femur, my upper leg. That’s when I felt excruciating pain.”—Retired Agent John Kuchta

The following are links to news articles and videos about the November 22, 1994 ambush at the DC Metro Police Headquarters:

Washington Post – 11/24/1994: FOUR SLAIN AT D.C. POLICE HEADQUARTERS

Los Angeles Times – 11/23/1994: 2 FBI Agents, Detective Killed in D.C. Shooting

Washington Post – 11/22/1995: THE UNFINISHED JOB OF A SURVIVOR

The FBI Files (VIDEO): Attack On The Washington D.C. Police HQ 

Washington City paper – 11/26/2014: The Murder Capital, Remembered

FBI Website – 11/22/2014: Honoring the Fallen – 20 Years Since Shooting Killed Two Agents, Police Sergeant

FBI Website – 11/22/2019: Law Enforcement Commemorates 25th Anniversary of Deadly Shooting

To learn more about this tragic incident and another case where agents made the ultimate sacrifice, listen to FBI Retired Case File Review episodes: 

266: Martha Dixon, Line of Duty Service Martyr

118: Ed Mireles – Fatal FBI Miami Shootout (Part 1)

119: Ed Mireles – Fatal FBI Miami Shootout (Part 2)

(L-R) Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. Henry Joseph Daly, FBI Special Agent Martha Dixon Martinez, and FBI Special Agent Michael John Miller.
DC Metro Assistant Police Chief Willie Williams meets with reporters on 11/22/1994, in front of MPD Headquarters.
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Washington Field Office, and the DC Metro Headquarters buildings have been renamed to honor the agents and police sergeant killed during the 1994 ambush.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerri Williams

View posts by Jerri Williams
Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, jokes that she writes about the FBI to relive her glory days. After 26 years with the Bureau specializing in major economic fraud and corruption investigations, she calls on her professional encounters with scams and schemers to write police procedurals inspired by true crime FBI cases in her Philadelphia FBI Corruption Squad crime fiction series featuring flawed female FBI agent Kari Wheeler. Jerri’s FBI for Armchair Detectives nonfiction series enables readers to discover who the FBI is and what the FBI does by debunking misconceptions about the FBI in books, TV, and movies. Her books are available as ebooks, paperbacks, and audiobooks wherever books are sold. She’s also the host of FBI Retired Case File Review, a true crime podcast with more than 300 episodes available on all popular podcast apps and YouTube.

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