ROCKVILLE, Md. — The well-known owner of a Rockville gun store was arrested early Tuesday morning after firing a gun at an undercover Montgomery County police car.
The officer in the car was patrolling the area because of a rash of gun store burglaries, according to police.
The man arrested is the owner of the store Engage Armaments on East Gude Drive.
Andy Raymond is a well-known figure in Maryland's second amendment community.
WUSA9 interviewed him in 2014, and he was recently featured in Bethesda Beat magazine.
According to Montgomery County Police, Raymond was outside the store at 12:30 a.m. when an officer in an unmarked car drove into the parking lot.
Raymond ran toward the car and was pulling something out of his waistband, according to police.
The officer attempted to drive away and call for backup when gunfire broke out.
That’s when the officer hit police lights, and according to police, Raymond immediately stopped, dropped the gun, and put his hands up.
No one was hurt but the police car was hit by two bullets, police said.
The incident happened as gun store owners, employees and police are on alert because of an epidemic of gun store smash-and-grab late-night attacks all over Maryland.
Today the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) announced five such burglaries have happened since Nov. 19.
Authorities released photos, the burglars use stolen vehicles to ram their way into stores in the middle of the night and steal any guns they can get their hands on.
Two juveniles, a 16-year-old and a 14-year-old, have been arrested.
The ATF is alerting gun store owners to be on the lookout.
This raises the question – did Andy Raymond start shooting at an undercover police officer last night thinking Engage Armaments was about to be hit by burglars?
Montgomery County police are not speculating, and representatives in the store politely told WUSA9 reporter Scott Broom that no one at Engage Armaments is talking to reporters right now without legal advice.
Raymond is charged with first-degree assault and handgun offenses.