Police Say Man Pulls Gun on Officers

David Leroy Bruce | MCPD

Police responding to a noise complaint at a Fairland apartment Tuesday were met at the door by an armed man, a Montgomery County police statement said.

When officers arrived at the apartment, in the 3300 block of Parkford Manor Terrace, they could hear the volume of the television was set at a very high level, the statement said.

Three officers verbally announced their presence toward an open balcony door but got no response, but they could see that someone was inside, police said.

One of the officers, each in full uniform, knocked on the front door and again announced that they were police. When the door slowly opened, a handgun was pointed directly at the officer while the man tried to conceal himself behind the door, police said.

The officers took cover and shouted commands to drop the gun, police said. The man came out to his balcony and maintained control of the gun for several minutes as officers continued to give clear verbal commands to drop the weapon, police said. Eventually the man dropped his gun but officers could not be certain if he would pick it back up or if he had any other weapons on him, police said.

After backup officers arrived, the officers forced entry into the apartment and the suspect followed their commands to leave the apartment and was taken into custody without further incident, police said.

Responding detectives from the Firearms Investigations Unit recovered a handgun loaded with six .32-caliber rounds that the suspect had pointed at the officer, police said. Other firearms were found and seized, police said.

A surveillance camera monitor was observed inside the apartment that could make it possible for the man to see officers approach before they knocked on the front door, police said.

David Leroy Bruce, 59, was charged with one count of first-degree assault, three counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony/violent crime, police said. Bruce is being held without bail, according to online court records.

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