Suspect in custody after 2 Maryland police officers shot

FALLSTON, Md. (AP): A suspect sought in the shooting of two Maryland police officers has been taken into custody early Friday after fleeing from the vehicle he had stolen from a detective he shot, authorities said.

Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies surrounded the suspect in a wooded area near a shopping mall in Fallston after police used spike strips to disable the stolen vehicle, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said, and he was taken into custody about 5:45 a.m.

“Our community is safer with this individual in custody where he belongs.” Gahler said at a Friday morning news conference.

The suspect, earlier identified as David Linthicum, 24, wasn’t injured during the arrest and charges were pending, Gahler said. He was expected to be transferred to the custody of Baltimore County Police.

Authorities believe the suspect had fled with a rifle, so they were searching the area for a weapon, Gahler said. When the arrest was made, Gahler said the suspect had ammunition with him.

Gahler earlier said that police found a rifle and a handgun in the recovered vehicle after the suspect fled, but later said only a rifle was left in that vehicle.

An officer was shot Thursday night during the search for Linthicum, who authorities said wounded a different officer while firing at police the previous afternoon.

Interim Baltimore County Police Chief Dennis Delp said early Friday that the detective who was shot Thursday night was in stable condition. Delp would not say how many times the officer was shot but noted he was wearing a ballistic vest.

Linthicum stole the detective’s vehicle after the shooting around 9:20 p.m., Delp said.

The first shooting occurred while police were responding to a call for a person in crisis. Baltimore County officers were called Wednesday afternoon to a home on in Cockeysville, where a family member escorted them to the person in crisis, police said in a statement.

While the officers interacted with Linthicum, he fired multiple shots, wounding one officer, police spokesperson Joy Stewart said. Officers did not fire their weapons during that interaction, she said.

The injured officer was taken to a hospital and officials announced late Wednesday that he was released and in good spirits.

Officials had urged residents to shelter in place and several schools in the area were closed Thursday. The search continued into Thursday evening as police ordered residents near the home in Cockeysville to shelter in place because Linthicum was spotted in the area.