GAITHERSBURG, Md. — A 35-year veteran with the Montgomery County Police Department was nominated as police chief on Wednesday.
County Executive Marc Elrich announced his nomination of Assistant Chief Marc Yamada at a press conference in Gaithersburg.
If confirmed by the county council, Yamada will take over the role after the retirement of current Police Chief Marcus Jones, whose last day is July 1. He will also be the very first Japanese American to serve as police chief in the county.
During his tenure with the Montgomery County Police Department, Yamada has overseen the Field Services Bureau and served as the Fourth District (Wheaton area) commander, captain for the Community Engagement Division and a duty commander among his many assignments.
Council President Andrew Friedson released a statement praising Yamada's nomination and thanking Chief Marcus Jones' for nearly four decades of public service.
“I have had the honor of working with Assistant Chief Yamada in his various roles within the department over the years. He is a distinguished public safety professional who brings with him over three decades of experience with MCPD and deep ties to the Montgomery County community," said Friedson. Adding, “We are committed to selecting a candidate who will uphold Chief Jones’ legacy of excellence by continuing to enhance public safety across our community and keeping our residents safe.”
The Council is scheduled to interview the County Executive’s nominee for police chief on Tuesday, June 11.
This isn't the first time Yamada has made headlines. Back in 2021, WUSA9 reported Yamada was having a late dinner with his wife and daughter when a restaurant worker cleaning a nearby table suddenly collapsed and he stepped in.
"I could tell by the way she was holding her hands that she was having a seizure. Based on the training we get... I knew to try to protect her head," Yamada said.
Medical personnel said the worker, identified as Vanessa Lopez, was having what's called a grand mal seizure when Yamada went to help her.
"I just tried to keep her calm, reassure her, I kept telling her, 'It's OK, I'm here with you,' just to try to comfort her and make sure she was in a good position on the floor so she wasn't choking or anything like that," Yamada said.
Lopez was in a full seizure for about a minute and had stopped breathing at one point, according to Yamada. She began turning purple and that's when Yamada started pounding on her back to try to get her breathing again.
"When I did that four or five times, she suddenly gasped and started gurgling a little bit, and then came around," Yamada said.
Lopez was eventually loaded onto an ambulance and taken to an area hospital for treatment. She said this was the first time anything like that had happened to her.
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