Montgomery County Police Shoot, Kill Man Inside Bank Branch

Police said the man was acting erratically, had a knife

Montgomery County Police shot and killed a man who was acting erratically and had a knife inside a bank branch in Takoma Park, Maryland Tuesday, police confirm.

Officer Michael Damskey fired the shot that killed Donovan Bayton, 54, of Silver Spring, police said. An investigation into the incident is underway.

Police said Bayton was trespassing at a Capital One Bank branch at 8740 Arliss St. in Silver Spring. When Damskey and Officer Marcus Lee arrived around 11:50 a.m., witnesses told News4, the man was in the manager's office with the doors closed. 

At some point during the incident, police officers told Bayton to freeze, but the man had a knife in his hand, witnesses said.

The officers then shot him in his torso. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died.

The investigation found two knives at the scene, police said.

The two police officers involved were from the 3rd District. Damskey had less than one year of service with police and Lee had less than two. They have both been placed on paid administrative leave during the course of the investigation, as is standard procedure in a police-involved shooting.

Stay with News4 and NBCWashington for more on this developing story.

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