A 25-year-old unarmed man shot and killed by a Prince George’s County police officer early Monday repeatedly failed to follow an officer’s orders to keep his hands visible, according to an ongoing investigation by police.
This is the fourth shooting by a Prince George’s County police officer since the beginning of the month. Monday’s incident also marked the second fatal shooting in September. Questions submitted to the police about the total number of shootings, how many officers have been placed on administrative leave because of the shootings and other inquiries were not answered by deadline Tuesday.
Officer Jordan Swonger, a one-year department member, responded to a domestic assault call around 1:30 a.m. Monday in the 1900 block of Rochelle Avenue in District Heights.
There, police said, Swonger found Gregory Bernard Boggs Jr. standing over a woman. According to police, Boggs ignored Swonger’s orders to step away from the woman. Instead, Boggs grabbed the woman and held her in front of him like a human shield, police said. Boggs then dropped the woman, reached behind himself and appeared to pull something from behind his back.
Police said Swonger feared for his safety and that of the woman and shot Boggs once in the upper body. Boggs later died at a local hospital.
Police said Swonger has been placed on administrative leave as an internal investigation of the incident is conducted.
Prince George’s County police officers shot three people during the Labor Day weekend, beginning when Officer David Cheatham mistook his mother for an intruder at his Kentland home on Sept. 3 and shot and wounded the woman.
Officers Robert Lee, a two-year department member, and Bruce Bowen, a one-year department member, were placed on leave after a Sept. 4 fatal shooting. In that incident, police said 35-year-old Anthony Andrew drew a loaded handgun on the officers who then shot and killed the shoplifting suspect.
