Prince George County ND March 17 2013 An off-duty Washington, D.C., police officer opened fire this morning on a carjacking suspect attempting to steal the officer’s personal vehicle — which had the officer’s 9-year-old daughter inside, according to Prince George’s County police.
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Police are searching for the carjacking suspect in the incident that occurred around 8:20 a.m. in the 5000 block of Vienna Drive in Clinton. Police said the off-duty officer’s wife had started the vehicle in their driveway and put her 9-year-old daughter inside when a carjacking suspect approached. The mother rushed inside and notified her husband, who is an off-duty officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, county police said.
Police said the officer came outside and began shouting at the suspect, who had gotten into their vehicle with the daughter still inside.
“He then tries to order the suspect out of the car. He’s saying, ‘Get out, get out, get out,’” said Julie Parker, a county police spokeswoman.
At that time, the daughter jumped out of the vehicle, and the suspect put the car in drive and began driving toward the officer who was standing in front of the car.
In fear for his life, the officer discharges his duty weapon multiple times, and the suspect crashes the car a short distance away,” Parker said of the black Toyota Camry that had struck a parked Chevy sport utility vehicle across the street.
Police said the suspect then got out of the car and ran to another nearby vehicle and drove away. It remains unclear if the suspect was struck, police said.
By Friday afternoon, Vienna Drive was laden with detectives and police officials from Prince George’s County and the Metropolitan Police Department.
Prince George’s police used a helicopter and a bloodhound to search for the suspect immediately after the incident, Parker said. Police also made calls to hospitals and health clinics in case they receive any patients with gunshot wounds, she said.
A description of the suspect was not available by Friday afternoon, but Parker said he is said to have driven away in a champagne-colored Toyota Camry with temporary tags. Parker said police do not know if the suspect was armed.
The officer, who has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated, has not been identified, but Washington, D.C., police said he is a 19-year veteran of the department.
Clinton resident Perry Baker said he lives a block away from the officer’s home.
“No place in the United States is safe. These are very dangerous, lethal crimes perpetrated against good people and young children,” he said. “The fact that they could do this to innocent people is just unforgiveable.”
This is not the first incident in southern Prince George’s County involving off-duty law enforcement officers this year.
On Feb. 12, an off-duty sheriff’s deputy from the Alexandria, Va., sheriff’s office was returning to his Fort Washington home when he noticed someone had broken into his residence, according to police. When he entered the home, he was confronted by the break-in suspect, and the off-duty deputy fatally shot the man, police said.
On Feb. 19 in Hillcrest Heights, an armed man who was high on PCP approached another man pumping gas at a gas station, police said. The man allegedly on PCP, Duane Lamar Williams, 34, of southwest Washington, D.C., reportedly chased the victim at the gas station and fatally shot him when an off-duty Metropolitan Police Department officer was nearby and identified himself as an officer to apprehend Williams. The officer did not discharge his weapon, according to county police, and Williams allegedly attempted to fire at the officer, but the gun jammed. Williams was charged with first- and second-degree murder, police said, and the officer was uninjured.
Source: Gazette.net
Police said the officer came outside and began shouting at the suspect, who had gotten into their vehicle with the daughter still inside.
“He then tries to order the suspect out of the car. He’s saying, ‘Get out, get out, get out,’” said Julie Parker, a county police spokeswoman.
At that time, the daughter jumped out of the vehicle, and the suspect put the car in drive and began driving toward the officer who was standing in front of the car.
In fear for his life, the officer discharges his duty weapon multiple times, and the suspect crashes the car a short distance away,” Parker said of the black Toyota Camry that had struck a parked Chevy sport utility vehicle across the street.
Police said the suspect then got out of the car and ran to another nearby vehicle and drove away. It remains unclear if the suspect was struck, police said.
By Friday afternoon, Vienna Drive was laden with detectives and police officials from Prince George’s County and the Metropolitan Police Department.
Prince George’s police used a helicopter and a bloodhound to search for the suspect immediately after the incident, Parker said. Police also made calls to hospitals and health clinics in case they receive any patients with gunshot wounds, she said.
A description of the suspect was not available by Friday afternoon, but Parker said he is said to have driven away in a champagne-colored Toyota Camry with temporary tags. Parker said police do not know if the suspect was armed.
The officer, who has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated, has not been identified, but Washington, D.C., police said he is a 19-year veteran of the department.
Clinton resident Perry Baker said he lives a block away from the officer’s home.
“No place in the United States is safe. These are very dangerous, lethal crimes perpetrated against good people and young children,” he said. “The fact that they could do this to innocent people is just unforgiveable.”
This is not the first incident in southern Prince George’s County involving off-duty law enforcement officers this year.
On Feb. 12, an off-duty sheriff’s deputy from the Alexandria, Va., sheriff’s office was returning to his Fort Washington home when he noticed someone had broken into his residence, according to police. When he entered the home, he was confronted by the break-in suspect, and the off-duty deputy fatally shot the man, police said.
On Feb. 19 in Hillcrest Heights, an armed man who was high on PCP approached another man pumping gas at a gas station, police said. The man allegedly on PCP, Duane Lamar Williams, 34, of southwest Washington, D.C., reportedly chased the victim at the gas station and fatally shot him when an off-duty Metropolitan Police Department officer was nearby and identified himself as an officer to apprehend Williams. The officer did not discharge his weapon, according to county police, and Williams allegedly attempted to fire at the officer, but the gun jammed. Williams was charged with first- and second-degree murder, police said, and the officer was uninjured.
Source: Gazette.net