An off-duty D.C. police lieutenant fatally shot a 28-year-old man who lunged at another officer with a knife Wednesday along a roadway near a police station in Prince George’s County, Maryland State Police said.
Jones was off duty in his marked patrol car shortly before 6 p.m. when he saw Tilton walking in the roadway, authorities said. They said a Prince George’s officer arrived after Jones called for backup.
“Tilton then produced a knife and lunged at the Prince George’s County Police officer,” Maryland State Police said in a statement. “The Prince George’s County Police officer then attempted to deploy his stun gun, which was ineffective, at which point, Jones then fired his agency-issued firearm and struck the suspect.”
According to Maryland State Police, which is investigating the shooting, Tilton was thought to have been involved in a two-vehicle crash near Route 301 and Village Drive, which is about three miles from the scene of the shooting. One of the drivers left the crash site on foot, authorities said.
“Investigators believe that Tilton may have been the driver who fled the scene from the prior crash,” Maryland State Police said.
A D.C. police spokesman said Jones has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
“The Maryland State Police is handling the criminal investigation into the incident,” D.C. police spokesman Tom Lynch said in a statement. “At the conclusion of the criminal investigation, [D.C. police] will conduct an administrative investigation into the incident.”
