Highways / Interstates

I-270 Temporarily Shut Down as Police Safely Detain Missing Person

Montgomery County Police and Maryland State Police temporarily shut down traffic on I-270 on April 3, 2025, to safely take a critically missing person into custody near Rockledge Boulevard without incident.

According to MCPD, “At approximately 11:49 a.m., 2nd District officers were initially dispatched to the area of Longwood Drive near the Beltway retaining wall for a report of a suspicious vehicle parked off the roadway. Upon investigation, officers determined that the vehicle belonged to a critically missing person from Manassas, VA.

Shortly after, multiple calls were received regarding a person matching the missing person’s description walking along the Beltway and I-270. Officers located the individual sitting on the center median near Rockledge Boulevard. To ensure their safety, as well as drivers on I-270, MCPD and MSP temporarily stopped traffic in both directions before making contact.

Officers used de-escalation techniques to establish a rapport with the individual and safely take them into custody without incident or injury. I-270 was reopened shortly after.”