DeOnte Rawlings, the 14-year-old boy killed in a confrontation with off-duty police officers in Southeast Washington last month, fired two shots at the officers before he was killed, the boy’s friend has told investigators.

Clifton Coleman, 19, who was arrested Monday night and charged with shooting his girlfriend in the face, told authorities he was with DeOnte the night he died, sources told The Examiner. In his statement, Coleman said Rawlings opened fire on off-duty Police Officers James Haskel and Anthony Clay.

When Coleman was arrested, police found two pistols in a closet in his home, including a .45-caliber handgun, the sources said.

Authorities are testing that weapon to see whether it was the one used in the shootout with the officers. Shell casings found at the scene were from a .45-caliber pistol.

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Coleman’s statement to law enforcement conflicts with what he told Rawlings’ family’s lawyer, Gregory Lattimer, early last week, Lattimer said. According to Lattimer, Coleman said he and Rawlings both were running from the police officers when Rawlings was shot. Coleman said Rawlings was unarmed when he was hit, Lattimer said.

Lattimer had hoped to use Coleman’s testimony as a keystone in a $100 million wrongful death suit against the police department. Lattimer said he was reviewing his options, but he cast doubt on Coleman’s statement to authorities.

“To use the death of a 14-year-old as your get-out-of-jail-free card — that’s labeling yourself, for life, as the ultimate knucklehead,” Lattimer said.

Haskel told investigators he suspected Rawlings of breaking into his home and stealing a minibike. He and Clay drove around the Condon Terrace neighborhood that night in Haskel’s sport utility vehicle before spotting Rawlings in an alley.

Rawlings’ Sept. 17 killing set off weeks of protest in the District and brought the first crisis to Mayor Adrian Fenty’s regime. While activists and some residents alleged police brutality and a cover-up, rank-and-file officers said Fenty abandoned them to score political points. Fenty paid for Rawlings’ funeral and let Rawlings’ sisters take over one of his news conferences.

Haskel and Clay claimed they only returned fire, striking Rawlings with a single bullet to the head.

bmyers@dcexaminer.com

smccabe@dcexaminer.com