A Pentagon police officer who was not on duty shot dead two men he thought were in a car near the parking lot of a Maryland apartment complex on Wednesday morning, authorities said.
According to police, the officer, a member of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, opened fire outside Takoma Overlook Condominiums in Takoma Park.
According to a press release from the Takoma Park police station, he “involved” the men “who could not follow his instructions” before shooting at them when they tried to flee in a car.
Both men were taken to an area hospital, where they died. Police identified them Thursday as Dominique Williams, 32, and 38-year-old James Johnson.
The Pentagon officer told investigators he thought there was a gun that was the man-made vehicle, a source told The Washington Post.
The officer has meanwhile been placed on administrative leave, the newspaper reported.
Johnson’s aunt, Denise Johnson, condemned the shooting.
“It’s wrong how he was killed,” she told the newspaper. “I’m just sad about what happened.”
Local community activists are appealing to Takoma Park police to release dispatch calls and footage of response officers’ bodies.
“It was an unlawful shooting,” Seth Grimes, a Silver Spring Justice Coalition activist, told WJLA.
‘This is not someone who is trained to handle interactions with members of the community. But this case illustrates why we need transparency [and] use of power rules governing police officers. ”