News Releases

Police Intervene in Knife-Wielding Man Incident in Bethesda

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Officers from the Montgomery County Department of Police - 2nd District, responded to the intersection of Rockville Pike and Grosvenor Lane around 6:43 p.m. on May 12, 2019, for several reports of a man in the roadway wielding a knife.

Officers encountered the man who had a blanket wrapped around his head, swinging a knife and approaching motorists at the intersection.  It appeared the man was having a severe, possibly psychotic, episode and was extremely delusional.  Officers evaluated the situation, set up a perimeter and blocked traffic while the encounter unfolded.  Officers attempted to establish a dialogue with the man while maintaining a safe perimeter.

When several attempts to de-escalate the situation waned, the man was tased and taken into custody safely and without injury to both the man and the officers.  The man was taken to a local hospital for evaluation where he revealed to the officers he had a history of mental illness and had taken amphetamines prior to the incident.

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CTJ

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Release ID: 19-182
Media Contact: mcpnews 
Categories: assault, uncategorized