Officer Shot Man At Wheel From Rear

Washington Post ^ | 10/30/4 | Fredrick Kunkle and Elizabeth Williamson

[SmithL]

An off-duty deputy U.S. marshal embroiled in an apparent road rage confrontation along Rockville Pike on Thursday night fired repeatedly into the rear window of his adversary's car, killing the man as he sat behind the wheel, according to police and witnesses.

Numerous witnesses to the death of Ryan T. Stowers, 20, at the Mid-Pike Plaza in Rockville shortly before 8:30 p.m. were being interviewed by Montgomery County police yesterday. Authorities said no decision had been made on whether charges would be filed against the deputy marshal, Arthur L. Lloyd, 53, a 28-year veteran of the U.S. Marshals Service assigned to U.S. District Court in Washington.

"The rear window was shattered out," said Capt. John Fitzgerald, a police spokesman, who said investigators had begun to talk with at least 40 witnesses. "With that many witnesses, there ought to be a very clear picture of what went down."

Although Fitzgerald said Stowers may have driven toward the federal agent in the plaza parking lot, three people who said they witnessed the shooting told The Washington Post that Lloyd was standing with his gun drawn and opened fire after Stowers drove past him.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Modernman]

Sounds like marshall got into a fight with the deceased, got too hot under his own collar

And it looks like the Marshal got the worse of it in the fistfight and decided to pull his gun out and punish this guy.

[rennatdm]

LEO probably had a Bush/Chehey bumper sticker. I've been cut-off twice this month by Rat punks. Each time they yelled "F@#$ George Bush". I put up with it the first time, but the second time I gave chase. I caught up with the Rat when we hit traffic light. The sissy hurriedly made a right down a side street and I couldn't get over in time to follow. I wanted a chunk of that punk like nobody's business. Also replaced my another Bush/Cheney lawn sign. A long,hard,silent stare at the known trouble-makers in the neighborhood has kept it there for a whole week and a half. I guess they'll get it on Holloween.

[Don W]

We'll see how this comes out.

If the LEO was being a dork, he should be suitably punished: Murder one is still murder one, no matter who does it.

Having been on the wrong end of a vindictive officer's firearm a couple of times (I was smart enough to know when to quit), I still have many questions about this whole scenario.

[csvset]

Police Identify Man Shot By U.S. Marshal

Last Updated: 10/29/2004 6:10:17 PM

Montgomery County police are interviewing as many as 40 witnesses to determine what happened Thursday night when an off-duty deputy U.S. marshal shot and killed a driver following a minor traffic accident in a parking lot.

Ryan T. Stowers, 20, of Redding, Calif., was shot by Arthur Lloyd, 53, according to Montgomery County police. Stowers, who served in the Navy, was in the area to visit the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.

Police said the incident began when Stowers and Lloyd exchanged words in the Mid-Pike Plaza parking lot. The confrontation escalated into a fistfight. Police said Lloyd tried to defuse the situation, but that Stowers got into his Camaro and drove at or near Lloyd.

The marshal opened fire several times, striking Stowers. The 20-year-old was pronounced dead at Suburban Hospital a short time later. Police found nine shell casings at the scene.

Witnesses, however, said the incident began with a fender bender between Stowers' Camaro and the SUV driven by Lloyd.

Eugenia Hull of Silver Spring told The Washington Post that Lloyd stood in front of the Camaro, saying "Get out of the car, or I'm going to shoot you again," and threatened to shoot Stowers if he moved the Camaro.

She said she saw the Camaro move around the deputy, and "I heard pop, pop, pop." The Camaro then crashed into a building. Lloyd is a 28-year veteran of the U.S. Marshal's Service and was posted at U.S. District Court in Washington.

No charges had been filed in the case as of Friday afternoon.

[cynwoody]

Video here.

[SengirV]

I saw this on the local news. The witness said that, right before hte shooting, she heard the guy in the car say "Oh yeah, lets see some ID then" and the shooter said(referencing his gun), "This is the only ID you need"

[Gigantor]

"Since swearing out false statements is a felony, you know...and everybody knows, LEO's NEVER do THAT! Ok, maybe only like two or three times a century."

No, never! Don't you know the police were just doing their job, following standard procedure. There is no record of any policeman violating a citizen. /sarcasm

[Mulder]

What do you think would have happened if one of us serfs did this?

Especially considering that they have an edict against CCW for "average citizens" up there.

[iconoclast]

What do you think would have happened if one of us serfs did this?

A twenty year old serviceman gets shot in the back following a FENDER BENDER for, apparently, failing to fall to his knees in supplication to (whoa!) a federal LEO.

This is so outrageous as to be ONLY defended by the brownshirts found lately, sadly, so frequently on this proud forum.

Was this psycho detained? Breath tested? Drug tested? No to all .... he had the magic federal I.D.!

BTW, could someone enlighten me? Is Deputy Marshall a pretty high ranking post? Twenty-eight years of service and he's a deputy? Sounds like Barney Fife with too many bullets to me.

[yarddog]

Of course one has to know all the facts but looking at that car, it is obvious it couldn't have backed more than a few inches toward the marshall.

My guess is same as several others. The Marshall is used to everyone cowing before his authority and is used to doing about anything he wants.

BTW U.S. Marshalls are political appointees.

[MississippiMan]

The witness said that, right before hte shooting, she heard the guy in the car say "Oh yeah, lets see some ID then" and the shooter said(referencing his gun), "This is the only ID you need"

From the WP story, I couldn't tell if that comment was referencing the fact that maybe the USM had a badge out and up, or the gun. Thanks for the update.

Shaking head...

MM

[Larry Lucido]

I get so embarrassed when I try to drive into a building and realize it's an exit, not an entrance.

[MississippiMan]

LEO probably had a Bush/Chehey bumper sticker. I've been cut-off twice this month by Rat punks.

Yeah, this kid could've been a punk, but since he was a Navy enlisted man, it's far less likely. Yes, every branch has its punks, but it's still far less likely. Based on the statements by witnesses, I'd up my bet from one buck to ten right now, that this kid was murdered for failure to show proper supplication in the face of a federal LEO, plain and simple.

MM

[William Terrell]

3) If the dead man tried to run down the Marshall, deadly force is justified, even if the subject was fleeing.

No, it's not.

[speekinout]

I think this was pure road rage on the part of the Marshall. The kid didn't know he was a Marshall, and according to several eye witnesses, was just trying to leave.

If this Marshall had a legitimate problem with the kid, he could have recorded to license number and followed though that way.

May he get a long stretch in the State pen to think about it.

[Lurker]

The perps a Deputy at the Courthouse. That means they don't even trust him in a patrol car. He gets to stand around courtrooms all day with a gun on his hip. Since he's "Federal" he can carry concealed as well.

If they eyewitness reports are borne out, this 'cop' needs to fry.

L

[connectthedots]

BTTT

[William Terrell]

The sick truth is that today's LEOs are protected by circled wagons. They're afraid to let even a psychopathic idiot get burned because they're afraid it will loose the floodgates and times will go back to where a cop could not fire first and ask questions after.

These cops, state and fed, know when they go into the business that it's dangerous. When a man takes a known dangerous job, it's not about preserving his ass. His ass comes second. People on the street's safety comes first. It's his job to die doing his job, if need be, because he has to presume a person is unarmed, innocent and not dangerous.

That presumption means he may get bloody presuming it. Most cops nowadays have no business being cops. They're more than willing to hurt others first if there is the slightest chance they will get hurt.

Every bit of this attitude, in my opinion, comes off the screen of television and movies.

[MississippiMan]

Exactly. If they'd had a fender-bender and there was a dispute, the proper course of action was to dial the police. The USM had no business pulling his gun at anytime unless there was some indication that the kid was armed and threatening him, and there's zero indication of such thus far.

I often wonder what it is about today's society, beyond the obvious macro-issue of moral decay, that spawns such incredible anger in traffic situations. In years past, you got mad, maybe somebody flipped somebody off, did some screaming, but this kind of vitriolic rage was unheard of. Now it's not uncommon to hear of traffic incidents that turn violent, though thankfully it is uncommon for someone to wind up dead. Very sad.

MM