A Montgomery County police officer was injured when he was struck early Wednesday morning in Gaithersburg by a vehicle driven by a suspected drunken driver, leading the officer to fire his weapon at the fleeing driver, according to police.
The incident began at 1:09 a.m. when the officer, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, attempted to pull over a driver suspected of drunken driving in the area of Montgomery Village Avenue and Midcounty Highway, according to police. The officer was not identified Wednesday morning by police.
Police said the driver, instead of pulling over, continued driving at a normal speed as police followed him and drove to a residential area near Grantchester Place, where he parked in a residential driveway. When officers approached the vehicle and ordered the driver out, the driver put the car in reverse and struck an officer, police said. At that time, the officer who was struck fired his weapon.
Capt. Paul Starks, a police spokesman, said Wednesday one shot was fired and it did not strike the driver.
The driver then took off, driving through the backyards of residences, before striking a pole near the intersection of Girard Street and Victory Farm Drive. Police arrested the driver after a short foot chase following the collision. The driver was transported to a local hospital to be treated for injuries he suffered in the collision, police reported.
Police did not identify the driver in the incident Wednesday morning. Starks said police are expected to release the name of the driver, a Gaithersburg resident in his early 30s, after charges are filed. The driver is expected to be charged with impaired driving offenses and first-degree assault, according to police, who are investigating the incident.
The injured officer was treated at a local hospital and is expected to be released today, according to Starks.
Police remain on Grantchester Pl in Gaithersburg. Police chase after officer struck by DUI driver. pic.twitter.com/iRXxXaMk9v
— Chuck Carroll (@TheChuckCarroll) December 9, 2015
Tire tracks through a yard on Grantchester Pl in Gaithersburg is evidence, after police officer was struck. pic.twitter.com/PMIjAIpOkg
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) December 9, 2015
