Police: Officers Thwart Carnage in Gaithersburg

Montgomery County police said Wednesday an armed Germantown man took a woman and her family hostage Monday, and threatened to kill them all if she didn’t reconcile their relationship.

Zain Imdad, 28, is being held without bail, according to online court records. He faces 29 separate offenses, the most serious is attempted first-degree murder, according to the records.

Police said Imdad entered a home in the 14000 block of Jump Drive in Germantown, where the woman lived. The woman had a protective order against Imdad, with whom she had a previous relationship.

In addition to his threats to the family, Imdad also told the woman and her family that he would kill them if the police showed up and then shoot the police, police said.

One family member was able to call 911.

Germantown police district officers responded, entering the home and confronting Imdad, police said. By then, he was holding a knife to the woman’s throat. Officers were able to wrestle the weapon away from Imdad, arrest him, and free the victim and her family.

Further investigation found that Imdad had brought a backpack with him containing a suicide note, a black replica handgun, a fixed-blade knife, duct tape, five pairs of handcuffs, para-cord and bottles containing an unknown substance, police said.

Imdad had told woman and her family that he was planning to kill them then drink poison, police said. The substance in the bottles was removed and is being analyzed for their content, police said.

“Without the assistance of the family members and the immediate action by the responding officers, the outcomes achieved during this incident could have been very different,” police said in a statement.

Zain Imdad was charged with the following:

Attempted First-Degree Murder (five counts)

Attempted Second-Degree Murder (five counts)

First-Degree Assault (five counts)

Second-Degree Assault (five counts)

Home Invasion

Violation of a Protection Order

Reckless Endangerment (five counts)

Carrying a Concealed Dangerous Weapon

Possession of a Dangerous Weapon w/Intent to Injure

Detectives are asking that anyone with other information regarding Imdad to call the Special Victims Investigations Division at 240-773-5400.

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