A 21-year-old man was shot and killed by police officers in Montgomery County, Maryland, after officers responded to a complaint that he refused to pay for food he ordered or exit the drive-through at a McDonald’s on Friday night.
According to Montgomery County police, a call came in around 9:15 p.m. for a man trespassing at the McDonald’s at 18273 Flower Hill Way in Gaithersburg. The caller told police that a man had ordered food, but was refusing to pay or move his vehicle from the drive-through.
A responding officer approached the vehicle, a white Honda CRV, and saw it had a lone occupant, a 21-year-old man, sitting in the driver’s seat. According to police, that is when the officer noticed a handgun sitting on the front passenger seat and called for backup.
The officers and the man in the CRV then got into what police characterized as an “armed standoff” for around 30 minutes. The McDonald’s was evacuated during this time.
“Circumstances that are still under investigation led to officers firing their weapons and the driver was shot,” police said in a release.
Police said officers on scene rendered aid to the driver until Montgomery County Fire and Rescue personnel arrived on scene and took him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The shooting is being investigated by detectives from the Major Crimes Division. The Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office is set to review the incident at the end of their investigation.
The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.
Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones will hold a press conference at police headquarters on July 19, though a time has yet to be determined.
