Suspect & Officers Involved In Deadly Silver Spring Shootout Identified

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The shooting suspect killed Wednesday in a shootout with Montgomery County police has been identified as a 27-year-old Silver Spring man, authorities said.

Osman Sesay was identified Friday by the Independent Investigations Division of the Maryland Attorney General's Office, which is handling the investigation into the deadly police shooting.

The investigation stems from a series of events that unfolded in Silver Spring early Wednesday.

About 4:25 a.m. that day, an off-duty Montgomery County officer learned of a shooting on Bonifant Street in Silver Spring and gave a description of the suspect's vehicle to on-duty officers, police said.

Minutes later, officers stopped the vehicle near the corner of Wayne and Dartmouth avenues. At that point, police said, Sesay got out of the car and pointed a handgun at the officers. Four officers opened fire at Sesay, who was later pronounced dead.

Authorities said a handgun believed to be Sesay's was recovered from the scene.

The officers—identified as Nathan Lenhart, Karli Dorsey, Dennis Tejada and Eric Kessler—were placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure for police shootings.

The Independent Investigations Division (IID) is reviewing evidence from the case, including the footage taken from the four officers' body-worn cameras.

The IID, which handles investigations into deadly incidents involving police, was formed in response to several police reform bills passed by the General Assembly earlier this year.

The Bonifant Street shooting remains under investigation by Montgomery County police.