An off-duty federal officer fatally shot a man in Prince George's County Friday afternoon.

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Pentagon Force Protection Agency officer, Alex Thomas, saw one man beating another outside a gas station in Clinton, according to police.

When the officer tried to intervene, the attacker turned toward him with a gun. Thomas, who was off-duty and in plain clothes, identified himself as an officer and ordered the other man to drop the gun. When he did not, police say Thomas shot him.

“The officer fired his weapon, striking the suspect in the upper body,” said Lieutenant Tammy Sparkman of the Prince George's county police.

The suspect, identified as Ronald Delonte Royal of Accokeek, was
pronounced dead at a hospital.

“Off-duty police officers don't have to stick their necks out to protect us but they do anyway,” said Clinton resident Candice Hamilton.

“My condolences go out to the family but if you want to act tough, things happen,” said Britney Oliver, also of Clinton.

Police have yet to determine what started the fight, or what brought the two men to the gas station. They did say the victim of the initial beating was also taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

“I'm terrified because we come here all the time,” said Dena Yansaneh. “I usually get my gas here in the morning.”

A spokesman from the pentagon force protection agency told the Washington Post the undercover officer works for them. He's on routine, administrative leave.