Off-Duty Pr. George's Officer Kills Man, Claims Robbery Attempt

Johnson's spokesman, James P. Keary, declined to comment, referring all questions to police.

For five hours after the shooting, a police helicopter, canine teams and foot patrols searched the Forest Village apartments and the wooded areas around the complex that lead to the Suitland Parkway near Andrews Air Force Base.

Department policy requires Prince George's police officers to carry their service weapons whenever they are in the county, whether or not they are on duty. Police recovered a shotgun from the parking lot and believe it belonged to one of the suspected robbers, Tippett said.

At the intersection of Forestville and Rena roads, across the street from a Sunoco gas station, investigators spray-painted yellow spots where spent ammunition was found. Paint also traced a trail of dried blood leading from near where the off-duty officer's car had been parked to the intersection.

Monica Kiah, 36, said the officer's Chevy was parked in the first space to the left of the complex's entrance, near a stop sign. When gunshots woke her up, she peeked through the window.

"What was he doing at 4 a.m.?" she asked. "He was parked perfectly. I thought it was kind of odd."

Neighbors said there have been a few car break-ins recently at the apartment complex.

Mark Johnson, 36, said he heard about 12 shots in rapid succession while he was getting ready for his job as a roofer. He ran to a window looking out over the crime scene and said he saw a car speed away toward Suitland Parkway. Later, he said, he saw the officer's car being towed away.

Police did not have enough details to offer a full description of the second man for whom they are searching. Pacheco said he did not know whether the off-duty officer lived in the apartment complex, across the Capital Beltway from the military base, or what he was doing in the parking lot in the pre-dawn hours.

Property records show Peaco, 46, has lived eight miles away in Upper Marlboro for almost 14 years.

The officer has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending an investigation, which is standard policy in police-involved shootings.

The incident and police response reminded one neighbor of the 1997 fatal shooting of off-duty District police officer Oliver Wendell Smith Jr., 27, who died at Forest Village about 2:40 a.m. Three robbers fled with his gun, wallet and badge.

Staff writers Derek Kravitz, Avis Thomas-Lester, Rosalind S. Helderman, Aaron Davis, David S. Fallis and Ruben Castaneda and staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.