Montgomery County

Officers Fatally Shoot Person in Exchange of Gunfire in Silver Spring: Police

A person in a vehicle shot at officers, who returned fire, police said

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Police in Silver Spring, Maryland, fatally shot a person who allegedly fired at officers investigating an earlier shooting Wednesday, officials said.

No officers were injured, a police spokesperson said. Four officers involved are on administrative leave as the Maryland Attorney General's office investigates.

Police were first called to a shooting that injured a man in the 900 block of Bonifant Street at about 4:15 a.m., after an off-duty officer heard gunshots, the Montgomery County Police Department said.

That victim, a man, was taken to a hospital. Police believe he was not armed and knew his shooter. He is expected to survive, Jones said.

The off-duty officer had noted a white Mercedes-Benz vehicle near the shooting scene and passed along the description to other officers, Montgomery County police chief Marcus G. Jones said.

Police looking for the suspect's vehicle pulled someone over at Dartmouth and Wayne avenues, a residential intersection less than a mile from the shooting earlier, police said. The vehicle was the one reportedly involved in the shooting and there were three people inside, police said.

Suddenly, a man jumped out with a gun and shot at officers, who returned fire, police said.

The shooter was struck and died on the scene, police said. Information on their identity will be released after their family is notified, an official with the attorney general's office said.

The two other people in the car, a man and woman, were taken into custody for questioning.

Police in Silver Spring, Maryland, fatally shot a person who allegedly fired at officers investigating an earlier shooting Wednesday, officials said. News4's Justin Finch reports.

The Maryland Office of the Attorney General will conduct an independent investigation of the police shooting as required by state law, officials said.

Officials will review body camera footage captured by officers, Jones said.

Montgomery County police will continue to investigate the first shooting on Bonifant Street and cooperate with the attorney general's investigation, Jones said.

Chief Jones told reporters that the prevalence of guns is a grave concern.

“We have a lot of guns on our streets here in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area to include Montgomery County,” Jones said. “This is a major concern. When we have shots fired at our police officers, this shows you that these individuals mean business.”

In 2020, Montgomery County officers used force in 474 cases representing about 0.25% of service calls. Four of those incidents were fatal, according to the Annual Use of Force report.

Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.

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