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Elliot Powers

Age : 46

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 07/12/2026

Location : Bus stop in the 9600 block of Lost Knife Road, near Montgomery Village Plaza

City : Gaithersburg

County : Montgomery

State : Maryland

Agency : Montgomery County Police Department; Gaithersburg Police Department

Officer(s) :Michael Wengloski; Andrew Hanko; Robert Bullock; Noah Whelan; Carissa Fortin; Christopher Leach

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during armed encounter

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 07/12/2026, 46-year-old Elliott Powers of Rockville was shot and killed by six officers from the Montgomery County Police Department and Gaithersburg Police Department following an approximately 20-minute encounter at a bus stop in front of Montgomery Village Plaza in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
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At approximately 6:45 p.m., police responded after a bus driver reported seeing Powers sitting at the bus stop with a handgun and apparently loading the weapon. Powers had a black backpack with him, and another person was initially sitting at the bus stop nearby.
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Gaithersburg Police Sgt. Christopher Leach was among the first officers to encounter Powers. Body-camera footage shows Powers reaching into his backpack as officers backed away and took cover behind a police vehicle. Officers said they saw a handgun and repeatedly directed Powers to show his hands and put down the weapon. The civilian sitting near Powers moved away.
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The encounter then developed into a prolonged standoff. Officers spoke with Powers for more than 10 minutes and attempted to persuade him to put down the gun. One officer told Powers that police wanted to work through the situation and wanted him alive the following day. Powers repeatedly told officers to shoot him.
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Leach requested a negotiator, although available reporting does not establish whether a trained negotiator reached the scene before police opened fire. Officers also discussed how they could safely take Powers into custody while he remained armed.
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Police alleged that Powers eventually raised or pointed the handgun toward officers. Body- and dash-camera footage released by the Maryland Attorney General shows Powers apparently raising his hand holding the gun in the officers' direction immediately before police opened fire.
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Six officers fired: Montgomery County Police Officers Michael Wengloski, Andrew Hanko and Robert Bullock, and Gaithersburg Police Officers Noah Whelan and Carissa Fortin and Sgt. Christopher Leach. After determining that Powers no longer had the gun in his hands, officers approached him and provided medical aid. Powers died at the scene.
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The Maryland Attorney General's Office subsequently released body-camera and dash-camera recordings from the encounter. The released evidence includes footage from two body cameras and two police vehicle cameras and documents much of the prolonged interaction preceding the shooting.
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The Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division is investigating the killing to determine whether the officers' use of deadly force was lawful.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
Montgomery County Police Officer Michael Wengloski was identified as a 12½-year department veteran at the time he shot Powers. Officer Andrew Hanko was an eight-year veteran, and Officer Robert Bullock was a seven-year veteran.
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Gaithersburg Police Sgt. Christopher Leach was a 14-year department veteran. Officer Carissa Fortin was an 8½-year veteran and Officer Noah Whelan was a five-year veteran. Leach was among the officers who initially confronted Powers and requested a negotiator during the standoff.
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Further review is needed to determine whether any of the six officers had previous fatal shootings, other shootings, significant use-of-force complaints, discipline or civil litigation before Powers' death.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.dcnewsnow.com/news/local-news/maryland/montgomery-county/officer-involved-shooting-reported-in-montgomery-county/
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/montgomery-county-police-investigate-officer-involved-shooting-gaithersburg
https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-police-department-mcpd-officer-involved-shooting-lost-knife-road-investigation-gaithersburg-maryland-police-pio-mcpnews