PD Releases Body Camera Footage Of Deadly White Oak Shooting

SILVER SPRING, MD — The Montgomery County Police Department has released the body camera footage of an officer fatally shooting a man who came at him with a knife in White Oak last week.

The deadly encounter took place Thursday afternoon in the 1500 block of Hadden Manor Court — about a six-minute drive from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Around 2:15 p.m., a neighbor called 911 to report that a man wielding a "large butcher knife" had chucked a rock through a resident's window and yelled out to "call the police," police chief Marcus Jones said.

The first officer to arrive on the scene was Sgt. David Cohen, a 17-year veteran of the police department, according to officials.

In the video, Cohen could be seen getting out of his vehicle and pointing a gun at 30-year-old Finan H. Berhe.

The suspect, who lived in the 1500 block of Hadden Manor Court, immediately rushes at the officer with a knife, stopping short of attacking him.

"Put the knife down!" Cohen screamed just before Berhe started backing away.

After repeatedly ordering Berhe to get on the ground, Cohen can be heard saying, "I don't want to shoot you."

Ignoring orders, he lunges at the officer a second time.

Cohen then fires five shots.

Berhe collapses, clutching his chest with his left hand and dropping the knife with his right. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died.

Per standard police protocol, Cohen has been placed on paid administrative leave while authorities conduct an internal investigation.

Once that investigation is over, evidence will be turned over to the Howard County State's Attorney's Office for review.

A years-long agreement between the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office and the Howard County State's Attorney's Office says that when an officer-involved death occurs in one county, the other will review the event.

Police have posted the graphic body camera footage on YouTube.