A Montgomery County police officer was indicted on assault charges last week, and is also under investigation for firing his gun while chasing a shoplifting suspect earlier this year.
Officer George Saoutis was indicted for second-degree assault after a teenage vandalism suspect was injured during a foot pursuit in March.
The shooting incident also occurred in March, when police say Saoutis fired his gun at the getaway vehicle when responding to the scene of a shoplifting.
That case is still under investigation by the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, police spokeswoman Lucille Baur said.
She said Saoutis has been on administrative leave since March.
Saoutis could not be reached Friday, and it wasn’t known whether he had an attorney.
In the first incident, police said that officers responded to a report of graffiti vandalism in progress near Evans Drive and Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring at about 4:50 p.m. on March 3.
Saoutis began chasing one of the suspects, a 16-year-old boy, on foot and yelled at the suspect to stop.
He eventually took the teenager into custody.
Police said the suspect was treated for a one-inch-long laceration on his head and the teenager’s family filed a formal complaint.
Saoutis’ report had discrepancies about how the injury occurred and a department investigation determined that the wound was caused by the use of his baton, police said.
The second incident occurred on March 30, when officers responded to a report of a shoplifting at the Target store in the Westfield Wheaton shopping center at about 6 p.m.
One suspect was taken into custody inside the store, and two others fled in a vehicle.
Saoutis fired at the vehicle, police said.
Baur said the department conducts an investigation whenever an officer fires his or her weapon.
She said the department has given its information to the State’s Attorney’s Office, which will determine whether the case goes to a grand jury.
The office did not respond to requests for comment about the status of its investigation.
A court date has not yet been scheduled in the assault case.
Saoutis is assigned to the Montgomery County police’s fourth district in Wheaton. He has been with the department since October 2007.
