Fatal SWAT Shooting In Silver Spring Justified: Investigators

SILVER SPRING, MD — Howard County investigators found that the deadly shooting of a man who barricaded himself and his child in a Silver Spring home was justified, police say. John Carlos Natera-Perez, also known as Jean Perez, 30, died two days after he was shot by a Montgomery County Police officer in a home in the 2800 block of Mozart Drive.

Perez entered the home when his ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend were inside, as well as the 3-year-old child. The woman told police that Perez was her estranged boyfriend and father of the child. Perez was armed with a knife and the woman and man fled the home. The child was still in the house with Perez, police said.

The July 23 incident began with a frantic 9-1-1 call at 7:52 p.m. The woman calling is heard screaming throughout the chaotic minutes-long call. The dispatcher attempted to get her to calm down, but a threatening male voice keeps interrupting throughout the call. The male voice is heard saying "I will (expletive) kill you," before the call is disconnected.

The 911 call recording is below. Be advised this call may be disturbing to some listeners:

Minutes before 8 p.m, police responded to the 2800 block of Mozart Drive to find the woman in the front of the house and Perez in the front door holding a knife with blood "all over his pants," the officer told dispatch.

The woman told the officer that her son, 3, was still in the townhouse. Police later learned Perez was the boy's father and the woman's ex-boyfriend. Another man, the woman's new boyfriend, had run away and was considered a victim of the crime.

The officer ordered Perez to come out, but he backed into the home and shut the door.

Police called in the Emergency Response Team soon after 8 p.m., and negotiators tried for about an hour in English and Spanish to get Perez to come out to no avail. They saw Perez moving furniture to barricade the doors.

Around 10:15 p.m., Perez lit something on fire and threw it out the window, police say. The boy was then heard screaming. Perez then lit clothing on fire in the home, setting off the fire alarms and creating lots of smoke. He also wrote on the windows with what appeared to be blood on his fingers.

Tactical team supervisors made the decision to enter the home for the welfare of the boy and that deadly force was authorized, police said. "Prior to making entry into the home, Officer Cochran observed Mr. Perez in a master bedroom window and shot him," police said.

SWAT members then entered the townhouse through heavy smoke, found the toddler unharmed on the bed in the master bedroom and took him outside. Emergency personnel took life-saving efforts to keep Perez alive.

Below is the bodycam footage from the first responding officer:

Howard County and Montgomery County perform each other's investigations into police activity to mitigate bias. The Howard County State's Attorney's office found that the SWAT team member, Officer Edward Cochran, was justified in his use of deadly force, citing the welfare of the boy as justification. Cochran is an eight-year veteran of the police department who is assigned to the Tactical Unit (SWAT Team).

See the full report by the Montgomery County Police Department.

See more from Patch:

• Man Shot After Barricading Himself With Child Inside Home
• Man Dies After Police Officer Shooting During Barricade

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Article image: YouTube screenshot via Montgomery County Police Department