A man fired shots at security guards at a U.S. Secret Service facility in Maryland Thursday evening, according to the Maryland U.S. attorney’s office.
Jeremiah Peter Watson, 22, of Hyattsville pulled up to a gated entry at the facility in Beltsville, got out of the car and aggressively approached the security guard, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. He continued to approach despite orders to stop, and the security guard used pepper spray.
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Watson went back to his car and began to drive away while another security guard and a Secret Service officer arrived, according to the U.S. attorney.
Watson made a U-turn and fired a handgun at the officers, who sought shelter in the guard house, which has bulletproof glass, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. Watson made another U-turn and continued firing before leaving.
A security guard got the license plate number and reported it to U.S. Park Police, who identified Watson as the registered owner, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. One of the victims also identified Watson as the shooter from a photo.
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The car was found at Watson’s home, according to the U.S. attorney. Police executed a search warrant Friday morning and found a 9 mm handgun. Three 9 mm shell casings had been recovered at the scene.
Watson was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He is expected to appear in U.S. District Court Monday. A Park Police officer was injured in a car crash while responding to the shooting. The officer was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
