MONTGOMERY

COUNTY POLICE

SEEK YOUR HELP

IN FINDING

SUSPECTS AT LARGE

IN WHEATON

The Montgomery County Police Department has issued the following bulletin, and seeks the community's help in capturing two suspects currently at large:

"Detectives from the Montgomery County Police 4th District Investigative Section are investigating a shoplifting incident that occurred this evening outside of the Westfield Wheaton shopping center and caused a Montgomery County Police Officer to discharge his service weapon.

The officer-involved shooting is being investigated by the Major Crimes Division of the department. Today at approximately 5:54 p.m., 4th District officers responded to the report of a shoplifting incident that had just occurred at the Target store in the Westfield Wheaton Shopping Center located at 11160 Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton. Responding officers were given a description of the getaway vehicle from store security officers.

Two 4th District officers located the vehicle fleeing from the Target parking lot, attempted to stop it, and one officer fired his service weapon. The vehicle continued fleeing from the officers.

It was located a short time later unoccupied near the Bally’s fitness center in the shopping center. Based on the preliminary investigation there is no evidence that the suspects received any injuries from the shooting. No officers were injured.

One white male shoplifting suspect was taken into custody inside the Target store. The two remaining suspects who fled in the vehicle, bailed out of that vehicle, and then fled on foot. They remain at-large and are described only as two Hispanic males.

As is standard procedure, the officer who fired his service weapon has been placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation is being conducted. The involved officer is assigned to the 4th District Police Station in Wheaton and has been with the department for approximately two and a half years. Anyone with information about the location of the remaining suspects is asked to call the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070. Anyone with information about the shoplifting incident is asked to call the 4th District Investigative Section at 240-773-5530. Callers may remain anonymous."