BEL AIR, Md. — A pair of discarded paramedics’ gloves marks the spot in the parking lot where a Bel Air police officer tried to pull over a vehicle on Franklin Street, and it pulled into the apartment complex, setting the stage for the deadly confrontation.
“We know a physical altercation occurred at that point,” said Bel Air Police Chief Charles Moore, “shots were fired, and we have the operator, I believe it’s the operator, an individual, an occupant from the vehicle sustained a gunshot wound, at least one, I believe, and was injured, of course.”
Mortally wounded, it would turn out when the unidentified victim later died from his wounds.
Investigation into fatal police-involved shooting in Bel Air; Police chief seeks truth and justice
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Jessica Wilson says her husband witnessed it unfold after noticing flashing lights in front of their apartment, which he initially wrote off as a routine traffic stop.
“So he went back inside, and then he heard the cop struggling, so he went outside and looked, and they were on the ground wrestling,” said Wilson, “and then he said the guy got up and went behind that tree and that’s when he heard the ‘Pop! Pop! Pop!’---three shots.”
Chief Moore says he’s found no record of any previous fatal police-involved shooting in his department’s history, but the officer was equipped with a body-worn camera, which captured footage of the incident, and he’s committed to aiding the Attorney General’s Office’s independent investigation into the shooting to the fullest extent.
“Any loss of life is very tragic for us. That affects the morale and mood of this agency and our community,” said Moore. “We take it very serious. The gravity of this case, we’re going to make sure to do the right thing, and so are our partners. I know those investigators that are handling the case; from their end, they’re very good. They’re very squared away, and they’re going to determine the truth, and that’s what’s important for us.”
