Montgomery County Police Officer Nominated to Be America's Top Cop

When a gunman stormed the Discovery Headquarters building on Sept. 1 and threatened to bomb it, this shook Silver Spring and all of Montgomery County. Within minutes of receiving an alert, Montgomery County Police officers rushed to the scene to offer assistance. Officer Edward Paden was one of the first police officers inside the building that day. Paden's quick thinking gained him access inside to help his colleagues gain an advantage in this crucial moment.

Officer Paden, due to his bravery that day, is one of many police officers who is in the running for "America's Most Wanted" contest to be a Top Cop. Paden sat down with Patch for this exclusive interview.

Patch: Can you talk to me a little about that day?

Officer Edward Paden: It was nice, sunny day. I got up that morning, went to work and left work early to attend an open water swim clinic because I was training for a triathlon. My coach and I went out to the Chesapeake Bay. I came back to Silver Spring, and I switched out gear from my personal vehicle to my police cruiser. I met up with my shift sergeant to talk to over some details. Within the first few seconds of our conversation, the alert went off. The dispatcher got on the air and said 'shots fired ... One Discovery Place ... man with a gun ... possible explosive device.'

Patch: What did you do next?

Paden: We quickly got into our vehicles and without hesitation we were off. We showed up and pretty much positioned ourselves around the perimeter. We positioned ourselves in the front area of Discovery Place, where the main entrance is in the lobby. I positioned myself in the garden area.

Patch: You came downtown for a meeting and didn't expect to deal with this situation?

Paden: I know. I expected to go the meeting and head home in my cruiser. I didn't expect anything to happen like this. I don't think anyone did. This is what we get trained for. The entire department goes through the act of shooting training.

Patch: What influenced you to be on the force?

Paden: So I don't have to dp the same thing twice every day. The excitement of the job.

Patch: You have been on the force for about 16 years and transferred from a police department in Houston, Texas. Did any of the work you did in Texas help you with at the Discovery Channel hostage situation?

Paden: Yes. I learned to stay focus and calm. When you're trying to give out information and you're screaming and hollering, no one can hear you. They re-emphasized that during the entry level school. They just reiterate it over and over again: 'You gotta stay calm. You're not going to do anybody any good if you're screaming and hollering over the radio, and nobody can understand you.'

Patch: Once you were positioned in front of the Discovery building, what was going on in your head?

Paden: That time of the day the sun was shining, and it made the window very dark. There was a lot of foliage and the trees were at full bloom. It was hard for me to pinpoint exactly where he was inside. I knew he was in that general area but where exactly was not in my view. So, I ended up making my way trying to get a better vantage point, and that's when I saw people opening up a corner door to the left of me coming out. I called my sergeant, so he could deal with it. I made my way toward the door, and one of the security officers who worked there recognized me. I have done the tours of Discovery prior to them opening. We knew each other on a first-name basis. He recognized me and waved me in. I ended up being the first officer inside.

Patch: Once you were inside what did you see?

Paden: I met with public Discovery heads and other Discovery officials to get their evacuation plan going. Some of the employees had already started evacuating, but then they sent a mass e-mail out to let all employees go. Shortly after that, some of the employees took me to a perfect vantage point where I could see the suspect. I looked around the corner, and I was looking right at him.

Patch: How did you use your vantage point to your advantage?

Paden: He was strapped with some type of explosive device and was also carrying something in his left hand — some type of detonator trigger with a flashing red light. I let our communications as well as fire marshall, the bomb techs, swat and the other personnel know. I became the eyes and ears for them until they were able to get in position. I basically relayed everything I saw and everything he was doing.

Patch: What do you enjoy about the Silver Spring community?

Paden: There is always something going on and it stays busy. There are the quiet days — moments — which are good. There's a diverse group of people, diverse culture. I get to learn quite a bit about people's culture. For example, there's a growing Ethiopian culture. I've been able to learn quite a bit about their culture, especially talking to alot of the business owners and trying their food.