Police hear gunshots during an operation and confront someone with a weapon

The police chief’s report on Tuesday’s incident in a Washington suburb is reminiscent of many incidents across the country that have resulted in injuries or deaths. But the Bowie incident had a different outcome, and in a statement, the police chief praised his officers for it.

Bowie is a city of around 60,000 residents in Prince George’s County. According to the police chief, the city police dispatch center received a call two minutes before noon on Tuesday that someone with a gun was breaking the bedroom window of a house in the 2800 block of Sudberry.

At 12:05 p.m., seven minutes later, dispatchers heard gunshots over the phone.

Officers arrived at the address within a minute and heard gunshots coming from inside. They safely evacuated “several people” from the house.

“Suddenly,” the police chief said in his statement, a man ran out of the house with a gun and “ran toward the officers.”

This seemed to be a moment of considerable risk for everyone involved.

But as the police chief reported, the police ordered the man to drop his weapon.

And, according to the boss, “he complied.”

He said the man was arrested. He “appeared to be hallucinating” and was taken to a hospital for psychological evaluation, the police chief said. The man was not identified.

No injuries were reported, but the police chief said several shots had previously hit the neighboring house. It was occupied at the time, but the residents were not hit, he said.

It didn’t appear that anyone from outside the home ever attempted to break in. He stated that authorities would try to investigate why a possible intruder was initially reported.

“Our officers have shown great restraint and discipline,” the chief said in the statement.

A 9mm pistol and two ammunition magazines were seized, the chief said.

He praised the officers for their “courage, leadership and professionalism.”