Man Pointed Gun at Officer When Fatally Shot: Prince George's Police

CAPITOL HEIGHTS, MD -- A Prince George's County Police officer fatally shot a man on Thursday morning after the man pointed a handgun at a second officer, according to a preliminary investigation by police.

At 8:30 a.m. Thursday, two officers were responding a report of a suspicious car with the engine running in the 4100 block of Byers Street. The officers reportedly found two men asleep in the car.

A man in the passenger seat jumped out of the car and began running away on foot. He was later identified as Alvin Young Jr., 39, of the 400 block of M Street in Washington, D.C.

According to police, the man in the driver's seat awoke. Identified as Terrence Thomas Jr. of the 4100 block of Urn Street in Capitol Heights, he then allegedly pointed a handgun at the officer and the passenger on the passenger side of the vehicle.

A second officer, who had approached the car from the driver's side, fired on Thomas, hitting him twice in the chest, according to police. Thomas was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Young was taken into custody and faces firearms charges. Evidence teams recovered the handgun, as well as a rifle inside the vehicle.

The officer who discharged his weapon was identified as Police Officer Steven Tucker, 22. He has been with the Prince George’s County Police Department for 18 months, according to a statement.

Anyone with additional information about this case is asked to call the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) at 301-772-4925.