Maryland AG investigates fatal police shooting of Rockville man in Gaithersburg
Montgomery County police investigate officer-involved shooting in Gaithersburg
A major police presence remains on the scene in Gaithersburg following a shooting involving a Montgomery County police officer.
GAITHERSBURG, MD. - A shooting involving multiple Montgomery County and Gaithersburg police officers prompted a major police presence in Gaithersburg on Sunday, July 12, leaving one man dead.
What we know:
The incident occurred at the Montgomery Village Plaza in the 9600 block of Lost Knife Road.
According to preliminary reports from the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) and the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division (IID), dispatchers received a weapons complaint at approximately 6:45 p.m. regarding an adult male reported to be loading a gun at a bus stop.
Responding officers from both MCPD and the Gaithersburg Police Department (GPD) encountered the man, who had what appeared to be a handgun.
According to MCPD, officers attempted de-escalation techniques to resolve the incident while simultaneously clearing a crowded parking lot in the shopping plaza.
After speaking with the man for several minutes, multiple officers discharged their service weapons, striking him, according to officials.
Officers rendered emergency medical aid until Montgomery County Fire Rescue personnel arrived, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene, and investigators recovered a handgun nearby.
The deceased man has been identified as 46-year-old Elliott Powers of Rockville, Maryland.
The IID has since identified the six involved officers. From the Montgomery County Police Department, they are Officer Michael Wengloski, a 12.5-year veteran assigned to the Special Operations Bureau; Officer Andrew Hanko, an 8-year veteran assigned to the Patrol Division; and Officer Robert Bullock, a 7-year veteran assigned to the Patrol Division.
The involved Gaithersburg Police Department officers, who are all assigned to the Patrol Division, are Officer Noah Whelan, a 5-year veteran; Officer Carissa Fortin, an 8.5-year veteran; and Sergeant Christopher Leach, a 14-year veteran.
What we don't know:
The specific sequence of events and actions that led to the officers discharging their firearms remain under active investigation.
Additionally, authorities have not detailed the specific content of the conversation between the officers and Powers before the shooting.
While officials confirmed the officers were equipped with body-worn cameras, the exact timeline for the video's public release remains uncertain.
What's next:
Per Maryland law, the investigation into the fatal shooting has been officially handed over to the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division (IID).
What you can do:
Anyone with information about the shooting, including cell phone or private surveillance footage, is asked to call the IID at (410) 576-7070 or email IID@oag.maryland.gov.
The Source: This information was provided by the Montgomery County Police Department, the Gaithersburg Police Department and the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division.