SILVER SPRING, Maryland -- A Montgomery County police officer was shot and killed in Silver Spring Monday morning.
Officer Thomas J. Bomba responded to a parking garage at Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street on a report of disorderly suspects around 8:49 a.m. when the shooting occurred, according to WUSA-TV.
"Today, it is with a heavy heart that I am announcing that Montgomery County police has lost one of its own," Acting Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones told reporters. "Officer Bomba was a very dedicated officer who worked in downtown Silver Spring. He worked primarily in the Central Business District area. We have typically been made aware of many different types of crimes that have occurred in downtown and Officer Bomba has always been actively involved on patrol and addressing a lot of the concerns that have occurred in downtown Silver Spring,"
Officials said that Bomba called out on radio and a responding officer found the wounded officer suffering from a gunshot wound.
The injured officer was transported by ambulance to MedStar Washington Hospital Center where the he was pronounced dead.
Authorities are searching the area and want the public and area businesses to be aware of the activity. While there is no description of the suspect or suspects, they are considered armed and dangerous.
"We were on scene fairly quickly, we locked down the area, right now were doing searches so hopefully we’ll figure this out really soon," Montgomery County Police Spokesman Capt. C. Thomas Jordan told reporters. "This is one of the hardest things that as police officers we have to deal with. We have to recognize is that it’s not just affecting the police officers, it's affecting the communities, too."
The 38-year-old officer was assigned to the 3rd District and was a 13-year veteran of the force. He is survived by a wife and two children.
Officer.com will provide more information on this story as it becomes available.
