GovernmentExecutive.com

Deputy U.S. Marshal Arthur Lloyd was charged with first degree murder Tuesday after the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old man last week.

Authorities waited until Tuesday to arrest 53-year-old Lloyd because it was not clear whether he was acting in his capacity as a law enforcement officer Friday when he shot Ryan Stowers, a Navy seaman, after they got into a fistfight in the Mid-Pike Plaza parking lot in Rockville, Md.

During the fight, Lloyd, a Rockville resident, shot Stowers in his lower right leg with his service handgun, police said. Using his cell phone to call 911, Stowers got back into his car and started driving away. Lloyd then threatened to shoot Stowers again.

"If you leave, watch what's going to happen to you in the morning. You just hit a federal officer," Lloyd said, according to a police affidavit.

As Stowers drove past Lloyd and toward the mall, Lloyd fired three shots at Stowers, hitting him once in his back left shoulder, police said.

Stowers was pronounced dead later that night at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md.

Lloyd, who suffered a broken thumb and other injuries from the fight, was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and released. He was not immediately arrested because it was not clear to law enforcement officials if he was acting in an official capacity as a U.S. marshal, according to Montgomery County State's Attorney Douglas Gansler.

According to police, the incident started when Lloyd, driving with his family in his black Ford Expedition, got into a "traffic altercation" with Stowers, who was driving a red Chevrolet Camaro, in the shopping center's driveway. Both pulled into the parking lot, and a verbal dispute escalated into an exchange of blows.

Lloyd's wife attempted to restrain Lloyd, police officials said, but Lloyd told her, "I'm going to show him." After shooting Stowers in the leg, officials said Lloyd told Stowers, "I'm a federal marshal," as he pulled out his badge. "Let me show you ... this will convince you." Witnesses, according to the affidavit, said Stowers didn't believe Lloyd and wanted to see his photo ID.

Lloyd also was charged with use of a handgun during a crime of violence, and reckless endangerment. The U.S. Marshal's Service has suspended him without pay. A bond hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday.

Contracting Losses

The U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce, upset that women-owned small businesses did not receive more than 2.98 percent of federal contracts in 2003, is suing Small Business Administration chief Hector Barreto for failing to implement a women's procurement program.

Congressionally mandated in 2000, the Equity in Contracting for Women Act of 2000 was supposed to reserve contracts for competition by small businesses owned by women that are in fields historically underrepresented by women-owned businesses. In 2003, women-owned small businesses received $8.3 billion in federal contracts.

Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., who praised the lawsuit, said the failure of SBA to create a women's procurement program cost women-owned small businesses $6 billion in contracting opportunities in 2003.

The lawsuit asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to order SBA to complete a study that would identify industries in which women-owned small businesses are underrepresented in federal contracting, and establish procedures that would verify eligibility for a women's procurement program.

Margot Dorfman, CEO of the women's chamber, said the lawsuit will let SBA officials know that the 150,000-member chamber is tired of waiting and that businesswomen are losing opportunities because the law has not been enacted.

"For years, we have tried to work in a cooperative fashion with the SBA to get the program implemented," Dorfman said. "The foot-dragging, excuses and misleading statistics have to end, and our leaders in Washington have to get serious about delivering real support for women-owned firms."

SBA spokeswoman Jennifer Foley said the agency first heard about the lawsuit last Friday from a press release from the Women's Chamber of Commerce and that SBA lawyers are reviewing the case.

COMMENTS

• I hope that people are not too quick to come to the conclusion that the US MARSHAL with 28 years of service was not justified in his actions. He did sustain injuries, broken fingers, head injuries, etc. and was out with his family. The young sailor was not an innocent guy just walking down the street. He was a drunk driver. It seems like the Marshal acted in self-defense for himself and his family. Who is to say that the violent drunk driver wouldn’t have gotten away and mowed down innocent people walking down the street. Nelson Elias Posted May 28, 2005 9:19 AM
• I live very close to the Mid-Pike Plaza and frequent it often. I'm just appalled that a Deputy Marshal with this many years of service would discharge his weapon in a crowded parking lot over a road rage incident. My neighbors or my family or I could have been easily killed while shopping. I'm equally appalled that the Marshal Service doesn't screen its deputies-- this middle aged man was a hot head ready to go off, as evidenced by his wife's intervention, and a young man died because of what is obviously neglect by the Service to screen its agents. GovExec.com reader Posted November 5, 2004 8:38 AM