Sheriff’s Deputies Save a Life in the Line of Duty #PGSO

Upper Marlboro, MD… While executing a court-ordered eviction in the 1100 block of Palmer Rd. in Fort Washington on September 5, 2018, Deputies First Class S. Green and S. Smith spoke with the male tenant about the order to proceed with the eviction. The tenant was asked to gather essential items before vacating the apartment, but when he walked back to the bedroom he laid down on his bed. DFC Smith asked him to get off the bed and gather his personal items so the eviction could begin but the tenant, instead, began to open his nightstand drawer.

Aware of the potentially unsafe condition, Deputies positioned themselves tactically and both noticed that the tenant had a knife. DFC Green used OC spray on the man that did not subdue him. He continued to ignore all verbal commands, held the knife to his neck, and essentially threatened deputies by telling them that the only way he was leaving “is in a body bag.” The man attempted to cut his right wrist, was unsuccessful and began to try to cut his neck again. Deputies continued to give verbal commands and called for extra units with a taser to the scene.

As they waited, deputies attempted sympathetic reasoning with the tenant in an attempt to get him to drop the weapon. The deputies were assisted by off-duty Cpl. Mayberry who arrived on scene with a taser. Noticing that the man’s arm was tiring, Cpl. Mayberry talked with the tenant as he executed a taser strike that subdued the tenant sufficiently so that DFC Green could take possession of the knife. The tenant was taken into custody and transported to Southern Maryland Hospital for emergency psychiatric evaluation.

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