Investigations Continue in Montgomery County Deaths Following Police Interactions

Montgomery County, Maryland, is currently the focus of two separate investigations involving deaths that occurred after interactions with law enforcement in December 2025. One case involves a death following police custody, and the other is a fatal two-vehicle collision.

Death of Jamal Thompson Following Police Custody

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office is continuing to investigate the death of 31-year-aged Jamal Thompson of Silver Spring, Maryland. Body-worn camera footage from the incident has been released to the public. Thompson was taken into custody by Montgomery County Police Department officers on Monday, December 15, 2025, and transported to a hospital, where he later died after experiencing a medical crisis. The Independent Investigations Division (IID) is leading the investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. The Attorney General’s office has released the names of the officers involved in taking Thompson into custody.

Fatal Two-Vehicle Collision Claims Silver Spring Man

On Friday, December 15, 2025, a two-vehicle collision in Silver Spring resulted in the death of 41-year-old Tyrone Alexander Chappell Jr., also of Silver Spring. Montgomery County police reported the collision occurred in the 900 block of Good Hope Road at Good Hope Drive, between Cloverly, and Colesville. Chappell was driving a black Acura RDX when it crossed the centerline and collided with a blue Ford F-150 pickup truck. First responders found Chappell in cardiac arrest and he was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts.

The driver of the Ford F-150 and a 4-year-old passenger sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to a local hospital. The Montgomery County Police Department’s Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating the crash, which marks the 40th fatal crash in Montgomery County this year, compared to 46 at the same point in 2024, according to ZeroDeathsMD.gov.

Holiday Crime Suppression Task Force in Silver Spring

Separately, the Montgomery County Department of Police – 3rd District conducted a Holiday Crime Suppression Task Force from December 2025 through January 2026 in Downtown Silver Spring. The task force focused on retail theft, robberies, and organized shoplifting, partnering with loss prevention personnel at local businesses. During the operation, which ended January 10, 2026, officers arrested 44 individuals for theft, two for auto theft, and eight for drug-related offenses. They also recovered two illegal handguns and over $8,000 in stolen merchandise, with $29,000 recovered from Target alone. Officers conducted over 268 traffic stops and, on December 2, 2025, apprehended a suspect near the Silver Spring Metro station who was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm while attempting to evade fare payment.