Man killed in Capitol Heights police-involved shooting

CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. - Prince George's County police said they responded at around 8 a.m. to Byers Street when two officers were sent to check on a report of a suspicious vehicle.

"The male officer was on the driver's side and the female officer was on the passenger side," said Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski. "As they woke the individuals, the passenger immediately moved to exit the vehicle and simultaneously - and this is important, these things all occurred at the same time - simultaneously, the driver of the vehicle armed himself with a handgun and then pointed it at both the passenger and at the female officer."

Police released photographs on social media of a handgun on the floorboard of the driver's side of the car, and a long gun, which was taken from the car and laid out on the street.

"This vehicle does match a description for a vehicle that we believe to be involved in some robberies and shootings in this vicinity," Stawinski said. "That is not for certain, but that is one of the investigative leads we are currently, actively working on for you."

"Everybody knew him, he was funny, he stayed around here laughing," said Darnell Bell. "He was a serious dude, but he was also a funny dude too."

But according to online court records, Thomas has recently been in trouble with the law. He pleaded guilty to a drug charge and had an upcoming court date on a gun charge. He had also been convicted on an assault charge in D.C. He went on trial and was found guilty. The judge in that case sentenced him to 180 days in jail, but all of those days were suspended.