Police say officers in Maryland fatally shot a 21-year-old outside a McDonald’s restaurant after an “armed standoff.”
GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Police officers in Maryland fatally shot a 21-year-old outside a McDonald’s restaurant after an “armed standoff,” the Montgomery County Police Department said in a news release Saturday.
The shooting took place Friday night after police said officers responded to a call about a customer who had ordered food but was refusing to move through the drive-thru lane at the McDonald’s in Gaithersburg, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Washington.
Once an officer spotted a handgun on the front passenger seat of the man’s car, backup was called, police said. Additional officers secured the area and evacuated McDonald’s staff.
According to police, an “armed standoff” ensued, during which officers tried negotiating with the driver for about 30 minutes.
“Circumstances that are still under investigation led to officers firing their weapons and the driver was shot,” the news release said.
Officers rendered aid to the driver until he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The officers involved are on standard administrative leave.
The department did not release video of the incident, did not identify anyone involved and did not provide the races of those involved.
Montgomery County Chief of Police Marcus Jones scheduled a press conference Monday to discuss the shooting.
