Police Officer Fatally Shoots Man, 39

A Montgomery County police officer fatally shot a 39-year-old man outside a condominium building in Germantown early Wednesday after at least one officer had apparently told him to drop a weapon, authorities said.

Officers said they found a replica handgun and a carving knife with an 8- to 10-inch blade near the man's body. Police identified the victim as Eliodoro Hernandez of the 12200 block of Eagle's Nest Court in Germantown.

Officer Jesse Dickensheets, a five-year veteran of the department, fired two rounds, one of which caused the fatal wound, officials said. Also at the scene was Officer Ana Hester, a two-year member of the force.

The "circumstances that caused the two shots to be fired remain under investigation," police said in a statement. Dickensheets had not given a statement to Montgomery detectives investigating the case. Officers in such cases do not have to respond immediately, officials said. The officers were placed on paid administrative leave.

Capt. Thomas Didone, commander of the Germantown district, said witnesses told police they heard at least one officer tell Hernandez to drop a weapon before the shots were fired.

The incident began about 2:40 a.m., when someone called 911. When the dispatcher tried to speak, there was no answer or sounds in the background, police said. Dispatchers tried reaching the caller twice more. The first time, someone answered but hung up; the second time, there was no answer, said Lucille Baur, a police spokeswoman.

Officers were dispatched to see whether anything was wrong, as is customary after such calls.

They arrived at a condominium complex of 20 three-story buildings near a lake about a mile west of Interstate 270. Residents and officers said the complex has been safe and relatively crime free. Three police officers live there, said Lisa Franklin-Urroz, the property manager.

Several residents in the complex said they heard two gunshots about 3 a.m. That was about the time the county received a police radio dispatch for shots fired and officers requesting assistance, police said.

When rescue workers arrived, they found two officers tending to Hernandez outside glass doors leading to a ground-floor unit. Near his body, officers said, they found "a silver and black BB/Pellet repeater air pistol [that] is a replica of an authentic semi-automatic handgun."

Residents said they saw officers working to save Hernandez.

"They were saying, 'Hold on, buddy, paramedics are coming,' " said Shawn Amirgazil, 31, a Web developer who lives nearby. He said he ran outside after he heard two loud pops.

Amirgazil said he heard an officer call for something sharp to cut through Hernandez's clothes. Another neighbor, Daryl Price, a 42-year-old lawyer, said he heard a "pop pop" and heard a woman screaming.

Another neighbor, Melissa Monte, said she was studying for an exam when she heard two "pop-pops." She said she looked down from her third-floor window.

"The policewoman was really shaken up," Monte said.

Didone said that Dickensheets is "one of the best officers we have" and that Hester has "an outstanding service record."