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3 PGPD Officers On Administrative Leave After Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting Near The Mall At Prince George's

HYATTSVILLE, Md. (WJZ) — Police have identified the officers in the officer-involved shooting at a mall in Hyattsville on Thursday.

Sergeant David Cheatham, Officer Dario Daniel and Officer Kesha Nsiah-Ababio are all on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

The shooting happened in the area of Toledo and Belcrest roads along East-West Highway in Hyattsville near the Mall at Prince George's, when police got a call about an armed man at a coffee shop.

They said the shop had called police on this man before after he allegedly assaulted an employee.

Leonard Shand Dead In Officer-Involved Shooting Reported Near The Mall At Prince George's

Police saw the man on the East-West Highway armed with two knives, and after a half hour of trying to de-escalate the situation- they used a taser on him three times- which he was not responsive to.

Another officer pepper-sprayed him, but that didn't work either. That's when a police supervisor arrived with a non-lethal gun that shoots bean bags.

As the officers are on scene, the suspect threatens the supervisor saying he's "ready to die."

An officer deployed a flash bang at the same time the supervisor began to shoot the bean bag gun. But instead of slowing down, the suspect charged the supervisor with the knives he had in his hand- triggering the other officers to shoot him.

The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Leonard Shand of New Carrollton, died.

Prince George's Police Chief Hank Stawinski said he reviewed both dashcam and body-worn camera footage and believes officers tried every method they could to get him into custody before shooting him.

Sergeant Cheatham is a 19-year veteran, Officer Daniel has been with the PGPD for about two years and Officer Nsiah-Ababio for about one and a half years- all assigned to the Bureau of Patrol.

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