Montgomery County police said a "gun battle" erupted early Friday on the border of Washington D.C. and Montgomery County.
Police from Montgomery County and the District both responded to the reports of shots fired around 12:39 a.m. Friday, on the D.C. side of Eastern Avenue near Georgia Avenue.
Montgomery County Police chief Tom Manger said when officers arrived, they heard the sound of gunfire.
"Our officers responded and encountered a man who was armed, and who had apparently been discharging his weapon," Chief Manger said. "When officers approached the man, he turned on them and began firing. The officers returned fire."
The shooting happened on the 8100 block of Eastern Avenue, outside of the suspect's house.
Neighbors told News4 they heard a large volume of gunshots during the incident. One neighbor described hearing individual shots, and then a sudden barrage.
Both the suspect and one Montgomery County officer sustained injuries in the exchange. Paramedics transported the suspect to MedStar Washington Hospital in critical condition. The officer, an 8-year veteran, was treated for an injury to his hand and then released.
So many shots were fired that police used a rake on Friday morning to collect the spent bullet casings left on the ground.
The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on routine administrative leave, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. Montgomery County police will review the officers' actions in the shooting; Metropolitan police will conduct the criminal investigation.
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