Hyattsville Man Arrested for Discharging Gun Near Silver Spring Gas Station

Desmond Jones (Photo | MCPD)

A Hyattsville man was arrested on Nov. 7 for discharging a gun in the parking lot of a Sunoco gas station in Silver Spring.

Police identified the man as 27-year-old Desmond Jones. According to a police statement, Jones has been charged with handgun possession, resisting arrest and firearm possession by a prohibited person.

The incident occurred on Nov. 6, police say. Silver Spring district officers were dispatched to the Sunoco located at 12040 Cherry Hill Road in Silver Spring at around 10:13 p.m. for reports of shots fired in the area. When officers arrived on the scene, they located shell cases on the roadway and in the parking lot.

One of the Sunoco employees told responding officers Jones caused such a disturbance earlier at the station that the employee asked him to leave. Jones returned to the Sunoco and proceeded to argue with the employee outside of the business, police say. After a while, police say Jones returned to his vehicle, drove off, and “fired multiple rounds from a handgun through his sunroof.”

Officers on the scene were able to receive witness accounts describing Jones and his vehicle. Hours after the incident, on Nov. 7 at 2:37 a.m., Silver Spring district officers found Jones laying in the backseat of his vehicle, which was parked behind a business at 12056 Cherry Hill Road.

Police say Jones ignored their verbal commands, so they opened the unlocked rear door of the vehicle. Officers reached into the area of Jones’ waistband and found a loaded handgun in a concealed holster. The officers arrested Jones and took him into custody.

An investigation determined that Jones isn’t allowed to possess a firearm because of a previous criminal conviction, police say.

Detectives are also investigating whether Jones played any role in a shooting that occurred overnight between Oct. 19 and Oct. 20. During the overnight hours, police say four townhomes on Sweet Clover Drive in Silver Spring were damaged by bullets.

Jones was taken to the Central Processing Unit and police say he’s being held without bond.

About Deirdre Byrne

Deirdre Byrne is a social media coordinator for Montgomery Community Media. She can be reached at dbyrne@mymcmedia.org or on twitter at @DeirdreByrneMCM.

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