The Montgomery County police officer that was found shot Monday morning in downtown Silver Spring died from a self-inflicted wound, the department announced.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for Washington D.C. made the determination, the announcement said.
Officer Thomas J. Bomba was found by a responding officer on the top floor of the Town Center garage at the corner of Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street shortly before 9 a.m.
He was transported to Washington Hospital Center where he was pronounced dead.
In his final radio communication with the department, Bomba had requested assistance with “disorderly subjects.” A massive police response to Monday’s incident turned up no suspects, Acting Chief Marcus Jones announced later that day.
“Officer Bomba was wearing his body-worn camera, but it had not been activated,” the department announcement read. “We continue to evaluate evidence collected at the scene as part of our commitment to completing a thorough and exhaustive investigation.”
Bomba was 38, lived in Gaithersburg and was a 13-year veteran of the department. He was assigned to the Patrol Services Division in the 3rd District. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Plans for a memorial service are underway and will be announced later, according to the department.
“This situation shines the light on how stressful law enforcement can be, and we must find ways to better support the men and women who have pledged to protect us,” said County Executive Marc Elrich in a statement. “While we all experience stress in our lives, it is difficult to imagine what law enforcement officers are going through on a daily basis. We offer our heartfelt sympathy to Officer Bomba’s family, his friends, the Montgomery County Police Department, and our entire public safety workforce.”
A recent white paper commissioned by the Ruderman Family Foundation showed that police officers die by suicide at a higher rate than the general population—17 per 100,000 versus 13 per 100,000 in 2017.
Photo of officers responding Monday by David Lay