Montgomery Village, Maryland: A Montgomery County officer-involved shooting unfolded in a residential community Tuesday afternoon after two officers chasing a suspicious man were shot at when they rounded a corner inside an apartment complex, prompting one officer to return fire.
According to Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada, the incident began around 4:51 p.m. when officers were patrolling the Off-Price Center on Contour Road in response to numerous citizen complaints of criminal activity in the area. Two officers spotted a man behaving suspiciously and moved to stop him.
Officers pursued the suspect on foot across the street and into the Cider Mill Apartments in the 18400 block of Lost Knife Circle in Montgomery Village. As the two officers rounded a corner inside the apartment complex courtyard, the suspect turned and fired a gun directly at them.
One officer returned fire, striking the man. Officers immediately began rendering aid to the suspect until emergency medical services arrived. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews were dispatched at 4:54 p.m., and medics transported the man, described by police as approximately 27 years of age, to a local hospital. He was listed in critical condition but is expected to survive, Yamada confirmed.
A firearm was recovered at the scene. Neither of the two officers was injured in the shooting.
Assistant Chief Darren Francke spoke directly to the reality officers face on routine patrol.
“We are continually finding guns on individuals, we’re making traffic stops all the time finding individuals that are armed felons,” Francke said at the press conference. “They’re trying to make this community safer, and put themselves on the line and deal with this.”
As of Tuesday evening, police said they were still working to fully identify the suspect. No name had been released.
Field Lessons are offered strictly as general, industry-standard reminders drawn from common safety practices and typical policy considerations. They are not based on any inside knowledge of this specific incident, do not presume what actions were taken, and should not be interpreted as commentary on the decisions made at the scene.
- Proactive patrol in high-complaint areas increases officer contact with armed individuals. When officers are specifically assigned to locations with known criminal activity, they must maintain a heightened threat posture from the moment they exit the vehicle.
- Foot pursuits create a dangerous transition point at every corner, doorway, and blind turn. Officers should be trained to slow their approach and create distance before clearing any corner during a foot pursuit, because the suspect may be waiting on the other side. Slicing the pie and using the cover on approach are perishable skills that require consistent repetition. If you can’t see the suspect you are chasing, the danger has exponentially increased.
- Our research showed that over one-third of all officers shot are shot during pursuits. The behavior cues associated with this violence include: hands to the front of the body, target glances, and one arm stiff while running.
Dr. Travis Yates has pioneered a behavioral risk framework to help officers and leaders identify, assess, and articulate risk in rapidly evolving, uncertain situations. Find out more about the FOCUS Behavioral Risk Framework.
