Montgomery County Police have identified the officer and suspect involved in a shooting Saturday at the Northgate Plaza shopping center in Aspen Hill.
The suspect, Carlos Enrico McDonald, 32, of Silver Spring, on Saturday entered a jewelry store in the shopping center that was closing and had no items for sale, and began acting erratically. The store manager asked him to leave, but he instead pushed her and walked toward the back of the store, according to police.
When Officer Donald Hayes later found McDonald in a parking lot, the suspect advanced at him with a large glass jug. Hayes tried to use his taser, but that did not stop McDonald, who dropped the jug, armed himself with a jagged portion of it and continued to advance toward Hayes, according to police.
Hayes fired three rounds, striking the suspect in his arm, leg, and hip. McDonald remains hospitalized in stable condition; a warrant charging him with assault has been obtained but not yet served.
Hayes is a 4th District patrol officer who has been with the department for three and a half years. Per standard procedure, he has been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation.
