MD Officer Used Pistol to Break Car Window, Accidentally Shot Driver
The officer, Todd Archer, will not be criminally charged, according to authorities, but he remains under administrative investigation by the Montgomery Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division.
A veteran Maryland police officer who used his gun to try to smash a window wound up shooting an unarmed driver in a Montgomery County parking lot when the weapon accidentally went off, police officials said Tuesday.
The driver survived the Nov. 5 shooting.
The officer, Todd Archer, will not be criminally charged, according to authorities, but he remains under administrative investigation by the Montgomery County Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division.
Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger has reviewed the video. “I don’t believe the officer intended to shoot this man,” Manger told the Washington Post, but added that “a number of questions remain about what happened.”
The incident began with a 911 call to police at about 8:20 p.m. Nov. 5 from a motorist saying his car was being rammed in a parking lot by an SUV.
Police say Archer was the first officer to arrive at the lot. He saw a Cadillac Escalade driving up against the back of a Camry, the car described by the 29-year-old caller to 911. It appeared that the SUV driver thought the other car was blocking his exit from the parking lot, police officials said, when in reality the car was pinned against a curb.
Archer got out of his patrol car, approached the Escalade and drew his weapon, according to police accounts. It’s not clear how well Archer could see into the SUV or why he thought he needed to break the window.
More Patrol

The Threat That Fits Under Your Fingernail
What cops need to know about alpha-gal, the tick-borne allergy that can turn an ordinary exposure into a problem weeks or months later.
Read More →
NLEOMF Honors September 2026 Officers of the Month
Four Bradenton Police Department officers were selected as the NLEOMF Officers of the Month for September 2026 for a nighttime water rescue.
Read More →
Blackhawk Debuts Mini EDC Pocket Multi-Tool
The Blackhawk Mini EDC Pocket Multi-Tool stows easily in pants pockets thanks to a sturdy stainless steel pocket clip and incorporates several essential/emergency tools into a single, high-mobility unit.
Read More →
Team Wendy Introduces the EXFIL Endurance Ballistic Helmet, Engineered to Reduce the Burden of Extended Wear
Team Wendy has launched its EXFIL Endurance, a new lightweight ballistic helmet engineered to deliver protection, comfort, and fit during demanding, extended operations.
Read More →
The First Responders Children’s Foundation National First Responders Day Roll Call of Heroes Ceremony Returns to Times Square, NYC
First Responders Children’s Foundation (FRCF), in collaboration with T-Mobile, will host the Roll Call of Heroes ceremony in Times Square to commemorate National First Responders Day on Wednesday, Oct. 28. During the event, FRCF will present 18 Hero Awards.
Read More →
Streamlight to Showcase Newest Lighting Products for Law Enforcement Professionals at IACP 2026
Streamlight will showcase its newest lights for law enforcement at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference & Expo. Featured lights will include the TLR-3 X, the PolyTac 1X, and more.
Read More →
Streamlight Portable Scene Light III Wins 2026 OH&S New Product of the Year Award
Streamlight’s Portable Scene Light III has won the 2026 Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) New Product of the Year Award in the Lighting category.
Read More →
Adept Armor Introduces Two New Rifle Plates
Adept Armor has launched two new Level IV ballistic plates, the Emperor and the Archon Mark 2, which brings Adept Armor’s new Quatroid ceramic to the high-threat, performance-value center of the range at 5.2 pounds.
Read More →
POLICE Product Test: Benchmade Bailout
The Benchmade Bailout is a slim, lightweight carry knife with a deep-ride pocket clip and comes in a variety of blade steels and scales. Here is a detailed review of the Taiga Green Bailout, released earlier this year.
Read More →
NLEOMF Announces July 2026 Officer of the Month
NLEOMF honored a Michigan deputy sheriff as the July 2026 Officer of the Month for rescuing a trapped driver from a burning vehicle following a Fourth of July crash.
Read More →