Suspect in Unprovoked Stabbing Shot to Demise by Police in DC Suburb, Police Say

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — A police officer in a Washington, D.C., suburb shot and killed a person after experiences he had, with out provocation, stabbed 4 individuals at random on Saturday, officers mentioned.

The victims included three girls — two had been stabbed within the neck — and a person, all of whom are anticipated to outlive, Montgomery County Police Assistant Chief Darren Francke informed reporters throughout a Saturday afternoon information convention on the scene. Three had been hospitalized with accidents.

The suspect’s id has not been launched.

Francke mentioned the person used a 12-inch butcher knife within the stabbings, which began at a preferred thrift retailer in Silver Spring, Maryland, after which continued within the surrounding neighborhood. Whereas the investigation is ongoing, Francke mentioned, detectives don’t consider the suspect knew any of the victims. He mentioned the assaults seem “utterly random.”

“We have now witnesses. We’re persevering with our interviews, however at this level it was an unprovoked assault,” he mentioned.

Police obtained experiences round 10:35 a.m. of a stabbing on the thrift retailer. Nearly concurrently, one other caller reported a second stabbing on a close-by road, in response to police.

The suspect ran right into a wooded space whereas police began establishing a fringe. Francke mentioned the person then got here out of the woods and “confronted a police cruiser.” He mentioned one other officer quickly arrived on scene, noticed the person armed with a knife, gave instructions and finally opened fireplace, killing the suspect.

“The officer fired a number of rounds and the topic was stopped from attacking additional individuals,” Francke mentioned.

The suspect died on the scene.

The Maryland Legal professional Normal’s Workplace is investigating the police capturing, which is normal process underneath state legislation. That workplace will flip over the outcomes of its investigation to native prosecutors, who will determine whether or not the officer might face legal prices.

Officers mentioned the capturing was captured on physique digital camera and the footage will probably be launched within the coming weeks, in addition to the names of the officer and suspect.

Francke mentioned the incident was out of character for the in any other case quiet suburban space.

“Montgomery County is a really protected group,” he mentioned. “On a Saturday afternoon the place of us are having a yard sale and simply procuring at a very fashionable thrift retailer, we don’t count on this. We actually don’t settle for it.”

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