Montgomery County Police are investigating the death of a man in Gaithersburg after two officers used their tasers on him.
Police were called to the 8800 block of Cross Country Place shortly after 6 p.m. Friday for a report of a man acting strangely. The caller told police that the man was standing in a parked pick-up truck, yelling profanities, hitting the truck with rocks, and crawling on other vehicles.
Investigators say the first responding officer saw the man jump from the pick-up truck to the roof of an adjacent SUV. The officer ordered the man down from the SUV. The man complied but continued to act "aggressively and strangely," according to police. The officer eventually used pepper spray, and the man ran a short distance away.
After the man picked up and dropped a both a large potted plant and a landscaping rock, police say he picked up a child's scooter and used it to strike the front door of 8830 Cross Country Place. When he refused to obey police commands to leave the porch of the house, the two officers used their tasers.
Fire/Rescue personnel were called to the scene after officers noticed the man wasn't breathing. CPR was administered, and the man was taken to Shady Grove Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police have not released the man's name, due to pending familial notification, though they have given his age as 51 years old. They are asking anyone who saw the incident to contact the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070.
The five officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave.
Photo Credit: WRC