Maryland’s Office of the Attorney General released police body camera video from the fatal shooting of a 46-year-old Rockville man at a bus stop in Gaithersburg last month.
On July 12, Gaithersburg police received a call about a man loading a gun at a bus stop on Lost Knife Road. Officers found Elliott Powers sitting on the bus stop bench.
Thirteen seconds after police arrived, it turned to chaos, bodycam video shows.
“No, no, no! No, no, no, no!” an officer is heard saying on the video. “Hand. Hand. Hand.”
Gaithersburg Officer Christopher Leach and other officers drew their weapons.
Leach backed away behind his cruiser for cover – blocking his bodycam’s view of the bench – as he talked to Powers.
“Please, drop the gun,” he asked.
“I’m not dropping nothing,” Powers replied.
“Please.”
Then Powers told police, “Do what you gotta do.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” an officer replied.
“Then hurt me,” Powers said.
Another camera shows a wider angle from further away. Officers from Gaithersburg and Montgomery County police can be heard calling for ballistic shields, a non-lethal pepper ball gun and a crisis negotiator.
They discussed trying to get into a position where they could safely use a taser.
They continued talking to Powers.
“Elliott! Talk to me a little bit, brother. Let’s talk about this a little bit,” an officer said.
“If you can do it, do it!” Powers responded.
“Come on, Elliott. Talk to me brother,” an officer said. “Let’s just call it a night, bad day. Let’s just start over tomorrow, all right.”
Powers occasionally motioned with his left arm, the distant camera angle shows, while keeping his right arm down near a backpack or bag. Then, he’s seen raising his right arm.
Montgomery County police said he had a gun in his hand and was aiming at officers.
Officers from both agencies fired a number of shots.
Powers died at the scene.
Officers recovered a handgun, police said.
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office is handling the investigation.
