Days after a Prince George’s County police officer fatally shot a man, Maryland officials have identified him as 31-year-old Melvin Jay.
What led to the shooting is not yet clear. As with all fatal police shootings in the state of Maryland, the Independent Investigations Division — an arm of the state Attorney General’s Office — has taken over the probe.
In a news release Monday, state officials also identified the officer who fired as Braxton Shelton. The officer, who has worked in law enforcement for four years, was wearing a body camera — and the division said it will probably release footage of the shooting within the month.
Shelton is currently on administrative leave, as is department protocol after a police-involved shooting. He was hired by Prince George’s police in September 2022.
Attempts by The Washington Post to reach Jay’s family were not immediately successful Monday, but people who appear to be relatives and friends have said on social media and at a weekend vigil that they believe his killing was unjust. The Post could not immediately reach Shelton and the union representing county police for comment.
Information released by authorities about the shooting has been sparse, including the nature of the 911 call, the circumstances of the alleged breaking-and-entering and what prompted the police officer to shoot at Jay.
In the hours after the shooting, Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz said during a news conference that his officers received the emergency call at about 5:25 p.m. An officer — later identified as Shelton — responded to the Windham Creek Apartments in the 5100 block of Suitland Road.
Aziz said Shelton entered the apartment and found two people inside. The chief, at an initial news conference hours after the shooting, said there was a “verbal exchange” between the officer and Jay. Shelton fired his gun, police said, and Jay was hit by one bullet.
Shelton rendered aid, the chief said, but Jay died from his injuries.
Aziz said that investigators recovered one gun at the scene, and the chief described Jay as a “suspect.”
A day after the shooting, officials with the attorney general’s office — referred to Jay as “the decedent” and said that the man lived in the apartment where he was killed.
State officials also said that the 911 caller, who had reported that the home invasion was “in progress,” was also a resident of the apartment, according to a news release from the attorney general’s office.
“Upon arriving on scene, one officer entered the residence where he encountered an adult man and began giving him commands,” a release from the office said.
Also on Friday, state officials said that two handguns, not one, were recovered at the scene “near the man.”
On Monday, hours before officials named Jay and Shelton, the apartment complex where the shooting took place was calm. Windham Creek residents who spoke with The Post said the apartment complex is a safe and quiet place to live, where neighbors keep to themselves and the atmosphere is family-friendly.
There was no sign of the police shooting there days before, but melted wax dotted the parking lot where dozens of people had gathered for a candlelight vigil over the weekend to celebrate Jay’s life.
In a video of the vigil posted to Facebook, family and friends clad in winter coats and hats held candles and blue and white balloons in the air. Then together, they released them into the night sky and declared in unison: “Justice for Melvin.”
Monika Mathur contributed to this report.
