Three Maryland police officers who were wounded by gunfire while responding to a 911 call on Aug. 23 were “ambushed,” officials said.
Prince George’s County police were responding to a report of a home invasion in Hyattsville at 6:30 p.m., said interim Police Chief Hector Velez.
“Within minutes, they arrived at the scene, and within seconds, they came under gunfire,” Velez told reporters. “They were ambushed.”
Two men were taken into custody after officers returned fire, Velez said. The three injured officers are expected to recover.
At 6:35 pm Sunday, we responded to a call in the 1300 block of Capital View Terrace. 3 of our officers who arrived in the area were shot. They were rushed for treatment. We returned fire. 2 males are in custody. They were not struck. We will update soon.
— PGPDNEWS (@PGPDNews) August 23, 2020
“These officers are coming to work to protect, defend the residents of Prince George’s County,” Velez said. “And this evening, these heroes did just that.”
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan wrote on Twitter: “We are all extending our prayers to the three officers shot tonight in Prince George’s County. [Maryland State Police] has offered its full support for the investigation.”
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said she met with the three officers, WUSA9 reported.
Authorities told The Associated Press that two of the three officers shot were “saved” by their bulletproof vests. One was struck in the chest and the other was hit in the back, while another was wounded in the foot.
“My heart sank. I’m thinking about their families, their fellow officers, and their community,” Velez said.
