DUNDALK, Md. (WJZ) — Four of the five Baltimore County officers at the scene of a Dundalk arrest opened fire on a driver who allegedly rammed a police vehicle Thursday, police said.
None of the officers involved, who are part of the Criminal Apprehension Support Team, were wearing body cameras. BCPD spokesperson Joy Stewart told WJZ that certain specialized units do not wear body-worn cameras. She did not specify why.
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Police said the officers were detaining two people in connection with a 2021 homicide around 1 p.m. near the intersection of Maryland Avenue and Avon Avenue when a driver in a black Infiniti allegedly rammed a police car.
The officers then opened fire on the driver, who was struck an unknown number of times. Police said the officers rendered immediate aid until medics arrived, which is when the patient was transported to Shock Trauma.
The condition of the driver — who is now being referred to as a suspect by police — is not known, but they remain hospitalized. Police said the driver was not one of the two people the apprehension team came to arrest.
It is unknown how many shots were fired on the scene, but images of the vehicle show multiple bullet holes through the front windshield and front passenger window.
BCPD shooting, April 14, 2022Baltimore County Police opened fire on the driver of a vehicle that allegedly rammed a police vehicle at the scene of an arrest Thursday in Dundalk.
BCPD shooting, April 14, 2022Baltimore County Police opened fire on the driver of a vehicle that allegedly rammed a police vehicle at the scene of an arrest Thursday in Dundalk.
A woman told WJZ Thursday her son was a passenger in the car that was shot at. She said he was on the phone at the time of the shooting, and that it was his vehicle that was rammed by police.
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“My son called me, and when my son called me they were shooting the car as I was on the phone with him,” said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous. “I rushed home from work to find out what’s going on and they still aren’t telling me anything yet.”
One eyewitness at the scene told WJZ he grew up with the person who was shot, and that they are good friends. He claimed the driver was a victim, trying to get away from police out of fear.
“He’d never try to cause nobody problems or nothing like that, he just wanted to hang out with people, chill, he was a cool kid,” the man said.
Stewart told WJZ Friday the officers were wearing vests identifying them as police.
The four officers have been placed on routine administrative duty pending an investigation into the shooting. No further injuries were reported in the incident.
It is unclear why the unit did not have body-worn cameras, but Stewart told WJZ Baltimore County Police are budgeted to receive 425 additional body cameras in either fiscal year 2022 or 2023, which will be given to all special investigation bureaus, including the specialized units who don’t currently have them.
According to an analysis of the Baltimore County Police’s proposed FY2022 budget, all officers in the department are set to have body-worn cameras by 2025.
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While two people were arrested at the scene, one person was later released. Police said they have not disclosed which homicide the arrests were made for because people are still being taken into custody in the case.
