WASHINGTON – Police have released the name of a Prince George’s County officer who shot two men suspected of stealing a car from Baltimore, and one of those men now faces charges related to the theft of the Mustang.
Officer First Class David Gross has been placed on administrative leave following the Tuesday morning shooting, which sent two men to the hospital.
Gross is a detective assigned to a special unit called the Washington Area Vehicle Enforcement Team. He has worked for the Prince George’s County Police Department for four years but put in another 12 years with another police agency in the region, the department said in a statement.
Gross and another detective, working on a tip from Baltimore police, spotted a stolen Ford Mustang in the parking lot of Marlboro Crossroads shopping center on Crain Highway.
Gross approached the car, where two men were sitting inside. Gross was heard telling one of the men not to touch a “weapon.” He then fired his service gun, hitting both men.
One of those injured was Clyde Peterson, 44, of Upper Marlboro. Peterson has been released from the hospital and was arrested on a felony theft and gun charges.
The second man remains hospitalized in stable condition and charges are pending, according to police. His name has not been released.
Police recovered two guns and a pair of gloves from the Mustang. Investigators believe Peterson and the second man intended to rob a bank at the shopping center.
