The guard "has worked security for us for a number of years, and he's used to dealing with crisis situations," Grimes said. "But this one did shake him."
Wearing jeans and no shirt, Poke fled the building, then fired into a blue Toyota Camry, hitting the 51-year-old driver in the head, and escaped in the car.
Shipley said the victim was listed in good condition at the hospital last night and that his wounds were not considered life-threatening. The man was not immediately identified.
The car was found abandoned and on fire just before 1 p.m. in the 1100 block of First St. NW in Washington. Washington Metropolitan Police received a report of a white Ford Explorer stolen at gunpoint from the same block. The SUV was a government vehicle from the district's Department of Transportation, said Dena Iverson, a spokeswoman for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, and police said the employee was left at the scene.
Prince George's County police officers spotted the SUV, which had flat tires, parked at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Suitland, just outside the district, about 3:15 p.m., said spokesman Cpl. Clinton Copeland. Police said Poke opened fire on approaching officers, who shot back and hit him.
Copeland said a woman in the SUV with Poke was taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries. It was not clear whether she was an accomplice or had been kidnapped.
While Poke was on the loose, Prince George's County school officials locked down six Laurel-area schools, forbidding students and staff from leaving or entering. Students at Brock Bridge Elementary School, just over the county line in Anne Arundel, spent recess indoors as a precaution, and alerts went out to some Howard County schools.
Though entrances were blocked, hospital business continued as a gaggle of media set up on an embankment across the street and two helicopters circled overhead.
"It's unfortunate that such an incident occurred, and what we're really trying to do is assist or aid in the recovery of our staff," said Shervon Yancey, a public relations specialist for Laurel Regional, who said counseling was being offered.
Poke had a history of violent crimes when a Prince George's County judge sentenced him in August 2006 to life plus 40 years at the Jessup Correctional Institution for carjacking, robbery and assault. According to court documents, Poke approached a 22-year-old woman in the parking lot of a Hyattsville apartment complex and forced her into the front seat. He put his hands around her neck and demanded cash, taking $500 before letting her out 20 minutes later in Northeast Washington. He was found with the vehicle two days later.
