Body Camera Footage Shows Nearly 30-Minute Standoff Before Fatal Gaithersburg Police Shooting

Newly released body-camera footage shows officers spending nearly 30 minutes trying to convince an armed man to put down his handgun before a second camera angle shows him raise and point the weapon immediately before officers open fire.

The shooting occurred on July 12, 2026, after Montgomery County Police and Gaithersburg Police officers responded at approximately 6:45 p.m. to a bus stop in the 9600 block of Lost Knife Road, in front of Montgomery Village Plaza, for a report of an armed man. The man was later identified as 46-year-old Elliott Powers of Rockville, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division.

According to Gaithersburg Police, the caller reported a “man loading a gun at [the] bus stop.” Police said officers encountered Powers holding what appeared to be a handgun and that he racked the slide of the weapon during the encounter. Officers also worked to clear people from the crowded shopping center parking lot while attempting to resolve the situation.

The released body-camera video contains footage from more than one officer. The first perspective captures the lengthy interaction leading up to the shooting, including repeated efforts by officers to persuade Powers to put the gun down. A second perspective provides a clearer view of Powers and the handgun during the final moments.

Officers Spend Nearly 30 Minutes Trying to Talk Powers Down

Within the first several minutes of the longer body-camera recording, an officer attempts to engage Powers in conversation.

OFFICER: “I just want to talk.”

POWERS: “I ain’t droppin’ nothing.”

An officer later tells Powers that he does not want the encounter to end with anyone being hurt.

OFFICER: “I don’t want to hurt you. I want you to go home tonight.”

POWERS: “If you can do it, do it.”

The effort to persuade Powers continues.

OFFICER: “Please work with me.”

POWERS: “Leave me alone.”

At another point during the first several minutes, an officer references the people in the surrounding area while asking Powers to cooperate.

OFFICER: “Can’t have you out here with a gun with all these people around. Please work with me on this. Just work with me on this.”

POWERS: “You gonna have to kill me.”

OFFICER: “I don’t wanna do that. Nobody wants to do that.”

The interaction continues for more than 20 additional minutes. Gaithersburg Police said officers used de-escalation efforts in an attempt to resolve the incident peacefully.

“Let’s Just Call It a Bad Day”

Nearly 28 minutes into the first body-camera perspective, officers are still attempting to communicate with Powers.

An officer addresses him by his first name:

OFFICER: “Come on, Elliott, talk to me. Let’s just call it a bad day. Let’s start over tomorrow.”

Approximately a minute later, an officer tells Powers:

OFFICER: “We can’t leave it the way it is right now.”

Seconds later, the situation changes rapidly.

OFFICER: “He’s gun out!”

At approximately 29:08 in the first body-camera recording, multiple officers begin firing.

The first officer’s camera captures the warning and subsequent gunfire, but Powers’ handgun is not visible from that camera’s perspective during the critical final seconds.

Second Body-Camera Angle Shows Powers Raise and Point the Gun

A second body-camera perspective included later in the full released video provides a much clearer view of the final moments.

At approximately [CONTENT WARNING: THIS IS RIGHT BEFORE SHOTS FIRED] 43:05 in the full video [CONTENT WARNING], Powers can be seen lifting the handgun from a lower position and pointing it outward.

The camera angle does not make clear exactly where or at whom the handgun is pointed. However, the movement of the weapon itself is visible.

Officers do not fire as Powers initially holds the handgun lower. After he lifts and points it, officers open fire almost immediately.

That second angle provides visual context that is not available from the first body-camera perspective.

Gaithersburg Police has separately stated that Powers “raised the handgun he was holding in the direction of an officer.” Police said officers from both the Montgomery County and Gaithersburg departments fired their service weapons in response.

Taken together, the two camera angles provide different views of the encounter: the first documents much of the nearly 30-minute effort to communicate with Powers, while the second more clearly shows the movement of his handgun immediately before officers fire.

Six Officers Fired Their Weapons

Powers was struck by police gunfire. Officers rendered emergency medical aid until emergency medical services arrived, but Powers was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the Maryland Attorney General’s preliminary investigation, a handgun was recovered near Powers.

Gaithersburg Police reported that no officers or bystanders were injured during the incident.

The Attorney General’s preliminary investigation identified three Montgomery County Police officers and three Gaithersburg Police officers who fired their weapons.

The Montgomery County officers were identified as Officer Michael Wengloski, a 12.5-year veteran assigned to the Special Operations Bureau; Officer Andrew Hanko, an eight-year veteran assigned to the Patrol Division; and Officer Robert Bullock, a seven-year veteran assigned to the Patrol Division.

The Gaithersburg officers were identified as Officer Noah Whelan, a five-year veteran; Officer Carissa Fortin, an 8.5-year veteran; and Sgt. Christopher Leach, a 14-year veteran. All three Gaithersburg officers are assigned to the Patrol Division.

Shooting Remains Under Investigation

The shooting is being investigated by the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division, which investigates police-involved incidents in Maryland resulting in death or injuries likely to result in death.

In its initial release on the Lost Knife Road shooting, the Attorney General’s Office said the officers involved were equipped with body-worn cameras.

The full body-camera footage released by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office can be viewed here.

Content Warning: The video below contains the fatal shooting and may be disturbing to some viewers.

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