Published March 6th, 2023
A Maryland State Trooper was shot Monday evening. At approximately 10:00 p.m. Monday evening, an 18-year veteran Maryland State Trooper stopped a vehicle on Rt. 50 near Vienna for speeding in excess of 100 MPH. The Trooper approached the vehicle on the passenger side and made contact with the operator. The operator immediately opened fire on the Trooper, striking him multiple times, including twice in his ballistic-resistant vest. The Trooper returned fire, but none of the rounds he fired struck the operator or vehicle occupants. The driver then fled the scene, driving approximately 15 miles to the nearby town of Delmar. Delmar Police observed a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle involved in the incident and followed it to a dead-end residential street, where the operator struck the curb and two parked vehicles attempting to turn around, coming to rest against a tree. As officers approached the vehicle, they observed the operator slumped over the steering wheel. Further investigation determined the operator was deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The injured trooper was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released the next day. According to a Maryland State Police spokesperson, “Thank goodness he was wearing his ballistic vest, because our medical providers believe that [the vest] saved his life after being shot multiple times at very close distance.”
