Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced Tuesday that his office will not pursue criminal charges against the six police officers involved in the July 12 fatal shooting of Elliott Powers in Gaithersburg.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Montgomery County Police received a 911 call at approximately 6:47 p.m. reporting a man loading a firearm at a bus stop in the 9600 block of Lost Knife Road. Officers from the Gaithersburg Police Department and Montgomery County Police Department responded and encountered Powers sitting at the bus stop.
Investigators said Powers pulled a 9mm handgun from a backpack after officers asked him to show his hands. Officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the weapon, but Powers instead chambered a live round and told officers he would not drop the gun and that they would have to kill him.
Additional officers arrived and established a perimeter while attempting to de-escalate the situation. According to investigators, when officers began moving to evacuate the nearby shopping center, Powers raised his handgun in their direction. Six officers opened fire, striking Powers multiple times.
Officers provided medical aid until emergency medical personnel arrived, but Powers was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured.
The Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division investigated the shooting from July 12 through August 31. After reviewing the evidence, the Attorney General’s Office determined that the officers did not commit a crime under Maryland law and declined to prosecute them.
