The police killing of a 14-year-old who allegedly stole a mini-bike from an off-duty officer’s home Monday night was the sixth deadly shooting by a D.C. officer this year, as many as the previous two years combined, according to police.

The death of Deonte Rawlings in Southeast Washington happened when a police officer with 22 years on the force learned that a mini-bike had been stolen from his garage, according to D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier.

The officer and another off-duty cop got into a civilian vehicle around 7 p.m. and drove around the neighborhood searching for the mini-bike. They found the boy riding the bike in an apartment courtyard in the 600 block of Atlantic Street, about two blocks from the home, said Lanier. The officers were off-duty and in plain clothes.

When the officers drove up on Rawlings, the teenager allegedly opened fire, squeezing off three rounds and striking the vehicle door below the window before fleeing down the street, police said. The officer returned the gunfire and pursued Rawlings on foot. The officer, a member of the Special Operations Division, shot eight rounds, striking the boy in the head.

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Lanier said she did not know whether the police identified themselves as officers.

“It’s not standard procedure for any officer to investigate a burglary of his own home,” Lanier said.

The police account of Rawlings’ death puts the shooting at the intersection of two District crime trends: A spike in fatal encounters involving police and a string of robberies from MPD officer’s homes

Last week, The Examiner reported that thieves were targeting police cruisers and officer’s homes, stealing high-powered weapons and expensive equipment.

Police have not recovered the weapon used to shoot at the police officers. Lanier said there were a lot of people in the courtyard and the officer called for backup. The gun could have been taken in the chaos, she said.

The second officer did not fire his weapon. He is a 19-year veteran. Both officers have been placed on routine paid leave.

There have been 21 police involved shootings this year, six fatal, police said. Twelve have been investigated by the use of force panel, 10 of them were found to have been justified. Two were found unjustified, an accidental discharge and shooting that did not strike anyone.

smccabe@dcexaminer.com