WHEATON, MD – A tense standoff at a JC Penney store in the Westfield Wheaton Mall concluded without injuries on Wednesday, December 6.
The incident began around 10:30 AM when Christopher Lawrence, a 37-year-old male with no known address, allegedly attempted to steal a watch and then barricaded himself in a fitting room armed with a knife. When Montgomery County Police Department’s 4th District officers arrived, Lawrence reportedly threatened them with the knife.The Montgomery County Police Emergency Response Team and negotiators were deployed, making efforts to coax Lawrence out of the fitting room. The store was evacuated for safety.The standoff lasted approximately four hours, ending around 2:30 PM when SWAT used pepper balls to subdue Lawrence, who was then taken into custody without any injuries.Lawrence is being evaluated by Montgomery County Fire Rescue and is expected to be charged with first-degree assault. There were no injuries reported among the officers or store staff.