A Prince George’s County police officer fatally shot a man after the two got into an altercation and the man drew two “replicas” of guns on the officer, police said Friday.
Around 12:40 p.m., a man who had been banned from an apartment building on the 1100 block of Owens Road in Oxon Hill attempted to order food to the front desk, police chief Malik Aziz told reporters Friday.
“Some food was being delivered to that recipient,” Aziz said. “The personnel at the desk realized that the person was not supposed to be there. And when they saw him, they were going to alert the officer, who just happened to come out in the corridor at the very same time.”
An officer with the department who works security at the building told the man to leave, but according to Aziz, he did not comply.
“It happened so fast,” Aziz said. “[The officer] did not have time to actually call for help.”
The officer led the man out of the building where the two got into a fight, before the man drew what appeared to be a gun from a bag outside the building, Aziz said. Per the police account, the officer told the man to drop the weapon, but he did not comply. Instead, the man appeared to attempt firing the weapon, but it malfunctioned, and he threw it into the nearby woods.
Aziz said the officer then tased the man at least twice in an attempt to subdue him, but the man drew out what looked like a “long gun.” The officer ordered him to drop the gun, unsuccessfully, according to police. The officer then fired his gun multiple times, killing the man.
An initial investigation revealed the guns to be replicas of real weapons. PGPD posted a photo of one of the guns online.
“I don’t know if they were sold as toys, but our crime scene investigators believe these are replicas of realistic weapons,” Aziz told reporters.
Police are investigating and still confirming details, and Aziz didn’t confirm whether there is video footage of the incident. Police said the man had a history of behavioral issues and had previously threatened and intimidated residents.
The officer was transported to a hospital with injuries to his hand and face, but is expected to recover.
Neither the officer nor the man who was killed have been identified, but Aziz the officer is a 12-year veteran with the department and works with the bureau of patrol.
Elliot C. Williams