LARGO, Md. — There has been an outpouring of support for the most seriously wounded police officer shot in Prince George’s County Sunday. Officer Brandon Westfall and two other officers were shot with no warning during an incident in Landover.
Westfall’s family revealed his identity and have posted on social media about the harrowing close call. According to his father’s post to a Go Fund Me page, Westfall celebrated his one-year-old son's first birthday the day before the shooting.
Police said two home invasion robbery suspects opened fire in a split second with no warning, hitting Westfall and two other officers.
Westfall, the most seriously wounded, “was shot with an AK-47 type assault rifle,” according to the Go Fund Me post by his father Ray Westfall, who has been a police officer for over 30 years, according to Prince George’s County authorities.
His dad said Westfall suffered “a severe wound to his tibia which resulted in surgery” and a “very long healing process” is expected for him to come back from the shattered bone in his leg.
By Wednesday morning, nearly $23,000 had been raised.
Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks spoke Monday about visiting Westfall in the hospital after the shooting.
"Westfall was the one who tearfully said to me and to the interim chief last night, 'You know, I just wanted to get there to help that lady because I could tell something very serious happened and I was just trying to get to her,'" Alsobrooks recalled. "He pointed to his badly injured leg and said, 'You know I just hope this doesn't hold me back because I love this department, and I really just want to serve.'"
A video of the incident released by police reveals the split-second nature of life and death situations officers face while balancing valid concerns about exercising restraint, according to Angelo Consoli, president of the county’s police union.
"The video clearly shows how quickly something can go from the run of the mill to death is a very imminent possibility just like that," Consoli said. "The officers first get on scene and have little to zero time to react to what's going on. And it's a reality that happens a lot more frequently than people believe it does."
Two other officers who were wounded less severely are also recovering, police said.
Two suspects were arrested after wrecking their car trying to get away, according to police statements in court charging documents.
Suspects Steven Maurice Warren of Washington and Andre Larnell Smith of Mechanicsburg, PA are charged with attempted murder.