HYATTSVILLE, Md. — A Prince George's County police officer shot a man who the department said charged at an officer with a knife Sunday in Hyattsville. Police have identified the man shot as 47-year-old Vicente Gutierrez, and the officer is Corporal Vincent Simmel, a 9-year veteran of the PGPD.
Interim chief of PGPD Hector Velez said the shooting happened around 6:45 p.m. in the 900 block of New Hampshire Avenue.
Velez said Gutierrez was shot three times outside the Fine Spirits liquor store entrance. Simmel was not injured and Gutierrez was taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries before being released according to a PGPD statement.
According to a PGPD statement, Simmel was moonlighting as a part-time security guard at the liquor store and was in full uniform at the time of the shooting. A store manager asked Simmel to remove Gutierrez from the store because he was agitating the customers, and had been previously banned from the store, Velez said.
Police said Simmel escorted Gutierrez out of the store, and an independent witness heard Gutierrez say, “I’ma kill you” as he pulled out a knife, according to the PGPD statement. Simmel ordered Gutierrez multiple times to put the knife down, according to police, and Gutierrez did not comply. When Gutierrez charged at officer Simmel with the knife drawn, Simmel shot his gun and hit Gutierrez in the stomach.
Velez believes the shooting was justified, saying so because Gutierrez pulled a knife on Simmel and charged at him.
Gutierrez is charged with Attempted First Degree Murder, First Degree Assault and other related charges. He is currently being held at the Department of Corrections.
There is still an active investigation into this shooting by the Prince George's County Police Department, and anyone with information should call 301-516-2512.
Simmel has been put on administrative leave. He was not wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting, according to PGPD.
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