TEMPLE HILLS, Md. — A Prince George's County Police officer was injured Wednesday morning after being hit by a car while investigating a theft. In response to the officer being struck by the car, another officer fired his weapon at the fleeing vehicle, but no one was shot, according to PGPD Deputy Chief Anthony Schartner.
Around 10:30 a.m. two Prince George's County Police officers responded to a report of a stolen credit card being used in the 4900 block of Beech Road in Temple Hills. When they arrived, Schartner said officers found a car repair business in a warehouse building and as they approached the business on foot, an overhead-style garage door came up and a stolen black Dodge Charger exited the garage.
As the car was leaving at a high speed, the driver hit one of the officers, sending him over the hood of the car, into the windshield, Schartner said. The second officer shot his gun into the car, before the driver of the Charger fled the scene, according to Schartner.
"The black Charger hit our officer at a high rate of speed, threw him up in the air and onto the hood, rolled over the windshield and then rolled off," said Schartner.
The officer was treated and released from the hospital.
"I guarantee you, tomorrow, he's going to feel it," Commanders said the officer wanted to go right back to work, but they told him to go home and take some time to recover.
The officer who shot his gun pursued the suspect vehicle in a short car chase that ended near the intersection of Naylor Road and Suitland Parkway. Schartner said all three occupants of the Charger fled the car on foot.
Two of the suspects were arrested and taken into custody, while one suspect remains on the loose. The only suspect description given by Schartner was a "tall, Black man."
In the process of arresting the suspects, one man was tased, and taken to the hospital for treatment. The second suspect had a medical emergency on scene and taken to the hospital.
Both men are at the hospital being treated for minor injuries and are expected to be released soon. Schartner said both men will be charged once they are released from the hospital, but he did not elaborate on what the charges would be.
Schartner said the initial investigation did not reveal whether the men arrested were connected to the stolen credit card, but that it would be part of his department's investigation.
The PGPD officer hit by the Charger was also taken to the hospital with minor injuries. He was treated and released.
Schartner said the responding officers were wearing body cameras, the cop car had dash cameras and the garage that the Charger exited had cameras on the building that will all be reviewed, though Schartner said he did not know whether any or all of the cameras captured the incident.
The officer who shot his gun has been placed on administrative leave per department policy, Schartner said, and the incident will be investigated by the department's criminal investigation division and the internal affairs division.
Schartner did not identify either of the officers involved but said the officer who shot his gun is an 8-year veteran of the PGPD and a corporal.