Silver Spring police officer’s parking garage death ruled a suicide
SILVER SPRING, Md. October 16 2019 The police officer who was found fatally shot on the top level of a parking garage after making a radio call about “disorderly subjects” shot himself, the medical examiner ruled Tuesday.
Officer Thomas Bomba was found shot at a parking garage at Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street on Monday morning.
Other officers who had heard his radio call responded as backup and found him shot, sending out an alert that an officer was down.
“Signal 13! Top of the parking garage! Shut down everything! Get everybody down here!” one officer shouted into his radio.
Bomba was taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where he died of his injuries.
A SWAT team was dispatched and searched the streets, the Beltway was closed down, and Metro stations were carefully monitored as the belief held that Bomba had been shot by someone else.
But police later said that there was no danger to the public, and the D.C. medical examiner’s office ultimately announced Tuesday that Bomba’s fatal gunshot wound had been self-inflicted.
Bomba was wearing a body camera, but it wasn’t activated, police say.
Memorial service details were not immediately available.
If you or someone you know is struggling, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day: 1-800-273-TALK. More resources are available here.
ABC7
