Montgomery County and Gaithersburg City police officers fatally shot a man at a bus stop near the Montgomery Village Plaza shopping center on Sunday after he raised a handgun in their direction, according to the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division.
The shooting capped a violent weekend across the 6th Police District, which covers North Potomac, Gaithersburg and Montgomery Village. The district also reported a stabbing, a knife-point assault, a vehicle theft in North Potomac and a car-prowling arrest in Potomac between Friday and Sunday.
The shooting
A 911 caller reported seeing a man loading a gun at the bus stop in the 9600 block of Lost Knife Road, near the Lakeforest Transit Center, around 6:45 p.m. Sunday. Officers from both departments responded.
State investigators identified the man as Elliott Powers, 46, of Rockville. According to the IID, officers attempted de-escalation before Powers racked the slide on his handgun and raised it toward an officer. Officers discharged their weapons. Powers was pronounced dead at the scene. A handgun was recovered. No officers or bystanders were injured.
Police tape was visible Sunday night in front of several businesses near the transit center, including Pho & Grill, Little Caesars, and Crisp & Juicy.
"We are here tonight because a man has lost his life due to actions of the police department and we recognize the profound impact this has on the family, the community and the officers," Capt. Cody Fields, the department's media and public information director, said at a press conference at the scene that evening.
Six officers were placed on administrative leave: Montgomery County officers Michael Wengloski, Andrew Hanko and Robert Bullock, and Gaithersburg City officers Noah Whelan, Carissa Fortin and Sgt. Christopher Leach. All six wore body cameras. Under state protocol, footage must be released within 20 business days of the incident, which would place the deadline around Friday, August 8.
The shooting was the second officer-involved shooting near Montgomery Village Plaza in 2026. In March, a county officer shot 27-year-old Andre Duvall of Germantown at the nearby Cider Mill apartment complex after Duvall allegedly fired at least two shots at officers. Duvall faces attempted murder charges and is next scheduled in court Friday, August 21.
Stabbing on Lost Knife Road
One day earlier, police responded to the same block for a stabbing. Officers arrived at the 9600 block of Lost Knife Road at approximately 5:57 p.m. Saturday and found an adult male with a stab wound, according to Montgomery County news outlet MyMCMedia. The victim was transported to a local hospital in stable condition. A suspect was taken into custody; formal charges had not been announced as of Monday, July 14.
Other 6th District incidents
The Montgomery County Police weekend crime summary also listed a vehicle theft in North Potomac, a knife-point assault in the district, and the arrest of a man caught checking car door handles and stealing change from vehicles in Potomac. No further details on those incidents were released.
Anyone with information about the July 12 shooting, including cellphone or private surveillance video, can contact the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division at (410) 576-7070 or [email protected].
