Official Shot Movers in Self-Defense, Police Say

"They called from the house and said he was upset, very upset," Winkelman said. He said the movers were told to "give the officer what he wanted."

Marlo officials declined interview requests yesterday. The company issued a brief statement pledging to cooperate with the investigation and adding that its priority is "the welfare of those who have been injured."

In a news release, police said both deliverymen were struck in the upper body. A law enforcement source, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing, said that White was shot in the chest, groin and knee and that Clark was shot in the abdomen. The Washington Post erroneously reported in some editions yesterday that one man had been fatally shot, based on inaccurate information from a government source.

State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said two investigations of the incident will proceed on separate tracks: One team of police detectives will investigate the use of force by Washington, and a second set of detectives will look into what crimes, if any, occurred during the encounter.

Winkelman said he was not surprised to learn that police expected to charge the unarmed men shot by an officer. "It's the custom of the Prince George's County police to do so," he said.

Clark's girlfriend and father said their anxiety was compounded yesterday by the hospital's refusal to update them on Clark's condition -- or even, for most of the day, to confirm that he was a patient there. Winkelman said hospital officials told the family that "an ongoing police investigation overrides hospital authority."

Attempts to reach members of White's family were unsuccessful. Winkelman said late yesterday that he also could not immediately reach members of the family.

Clark's family described him as a gentle giant, easygoing and slow to anger. He stands 6 feet 4 inches and weighs more than 260 pounds, according to a younger brother, Nathaniel B. Saunders.

"He gets along with everybody," Saunders said. He said Clark graduated from DuVal High School, where he played on the football team.

Washington was a detective when Johnson, then the state's attorney, tapped him to become part of his security detail. He enthusiastically endorsed Johnson's 2002 bid for county executive, contributing to and working for the campaign.

Washington rose fast after Johnson's election. In 2003, Johnson named Washington to his transition team. In August 2004, he appointed Washington deputy director of homeland security.

The appointment came eight months after Washington was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into whether he hit a member of the Simmons Acres Homeowners Association during a meeting. The complaint was later dropped without legal or administrative action.

In 2000, a federal civil jury awarded $260,000 to the plaintiff in the civil rights suit against Washington and county correctional officers. The man, David Paul Maslousky, said he was arrested and strip-searched after he protested Washington's treatment of a man who had been involved in a minor traffic accident. The case was appealed, and Washington prevailed.

Last year, Johnson contributed to Washington's unsuccessful bid for the seat of County Council member Marilynn Bland (D-Clinton).

James Keary, Johnson's spokesman, said the county executive would not comment on the case. "It's a police matter, and it's under investigation," Keary said.

Staff writers Hamil R. Harris, Rosalind S. Helderman and Avis Thomas-Lester and staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.