Off-duty Baltimore cop shoots 2 in his house

metman

Off-Duty Maryland Officer Shoots 2 in His House

An off-duty Baltimore County police officer shot two suspected burglars in his home early yesterday, wounding both, Baltimore City police said.

Police received a call at 7:25 yesterday about a shooting at a house in the 200 block of Evesham Ave. in North Baltimore, near the Baltimore County line. They found two men, each with one gunshot wound, at the home, said police spokesman Donny Moses. A Baltimore County police officer who lives in the last house on a short block with heavy foliage shot the men after he found them taking items, including a generator, from the first floor, authorities said. One of the victims had a weapon, but police wouldn't say what kind. Moses said it was not a gun. The officer told city police he had gone downstairs after his wife heard a noise.

"She alerted her husband, who grabbed his revolver and went downstairs to check," Moses said.

Police did not release the officer's name. The suspects were not identified because they had not been charged, Moses said. One suspect was taken to Sinai Hospital, and the other was taken to Union Memorial Hospital. A tan pickup truck belonging to the suspects was still parked outside the house this morning.

Moses said city detectives interviewed the officer as part of a standard procedure when an officer is involved in a shooting. The officer has been placed on paid leave, also standard procedure, said Baltimore County police Sgt. Bruce Aris.

The officer's home is located in the Lake Evesham neighborhood, a small community of about 250 single-family homes and two apartment buildings south of Towson. Part of the neighborhood, including the officer's home, runs parallel to Northern Parkway but is separated from the thoroughfare by trees.

Moses said the neighborhood is generally quiet and crime-free and that the officer's home might have been targeted because it looks vacant from the front. Residents said they generally feel safe in the community, but the area has its share of crime. Jack Clough, a 37-year-old resident, said Lake Evesham is a nice neighborhood but it often attracts trouble from neighboring areas and nearby bars.

"There are certain establishments that attract riffraff," he said.

Judith Garrett, 52, said she installed a security system after a neighbor's home was broken into several months ago. She said the neighbors across the street had their car broken into recently.

"It makes me nervous that people are now targeting this neighborhood," she said.

Source
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Can you imagine how differently this would play out here? No doubt the human rights militia would be up in arms and the prison service would be freeing up a cell in anticipation. The reality is those burglars won't be paying that address a repeat visit.

enda1

How do you know that? He'll probably be fearing for his life now. When the boys get out of hospital/jail, who knows, maybe they'll seek a bit of revenge themselves.

Why do you think people in Ireland would be so appalled at the actions the copper took anyway?

metman

And risk getting shot again? Burglars usually burgle to feed a drug habit. They look for easy targets, not hard targets.

And I imagine most law abiding people would applaud his actions. However were it played out in Ireland a lengthy investigation whilst suspended and even the possibility of jail will be a reality for the officer involved.

TheNog

metman wrote: »

And risk getting shot again? Burglars usually burgle to feed a drug habit. They look for easy targets, not hard targets.

And I imagine most law abiding people would applaud his actions. However were it played out in Ireland a lengthy investigation whilst suspended and even the possibility of jail will be a reality for the officer involved.

+1

Imagine how big the furore would be if an off-duty Garda shot a burglar with his own pistol or shotgun. Think of the McNally case and multiply it by tenfold.

I can just think of the questions that would be raised such as

Why didn't the guard disarm a burglar with a knife?

or

Why wasn't the burglar restrained until the cavalry arrived?

FGR

TheNog wrote: »

+1
Why didn't the guard disarm a burglar with a knife?

or

Why wasn't the burglar restrained until the cavalry arrived?

I love the classic "Why didn't the Garda shoot the weapon from the burglar's hand?" :rolleyes:

metman

Or shoot to wound!??? Why can't you police-types just shoot to wound!!!!


Sheeeeiiiitttt.

Paulzx

enda1 wrote: »

How do you know that? He'll probably be fearing for his life now. When the boys get out of hospital/jail, who knows, maybe they'll seek a bit of revenge themselves.

Yeah. Like they enjoyed being shot so much the first time they're going to go back for another bullet!!!. Somehow i think not

Paulzx

metman wrote: »

Or shoot to wound!??? Why can't you police-types just shoot to wound!!!!


Sheeeeiiiitttt.

You can use them special wound bullets instead of the kill ones:rolleyes:

enda1

metman wrote: »

Or shoot to wound!??? Why can't you police-types just shoot to wound!!!!


Sheeeeiiiitttt.

They are wounded, not dead.

yayamark

or why didnt u offer him a cigeratte? :rolleyes:

Steve

Lucky he didn't have to run out to the car, radio for authorisation, change uniform, unlock the firearms safe and load the weapon before shooting....:rolleyes:

Eru

enda1 wrote: »

How do you know that? He'll probably be fearing for his life now. When the boys get out of hospital/jail, who knows, maybe they'll seek a bit of revenge themselves.

Why do you think people in Ireland would be so appalled at the actions the copper took anyway?

A, not a chance. They seek easy targets, not ones that shoot back. Even here they would choose the easy house over one with a Garda in it unless the original attack was job related to begin with.

B, Because of the case involving an on duty US cop that shot an Irishman?!? Or perhaps the furore and shouts of 'Murder' that followed the Lusk bank raid?!?

Besides, we dont have the same rights to self defence as the US does. In fact, if you jump a burglar in your own home and say, break his arm, he can legally sue you for damages and win then have you charged with assault.

utick

lol got to laugh. but i think the tolerance for thugs in ireland seems to becoming lower and lower didnt hear a whole lot of rage about that robber killed with his own knife last week

cyrusdvirus

utick wrote: »

lol got to laugh. but i think the tolerance for thugs in ireland seems to becoming lower and lower didnt hear a whole lot of rage about that robber killed with his own knife last week

Wait and see...... The main difference there is that the lad who was killed wasn't a traveller, and that makes it a less devisive an issue. We don't know the details of that case yet. I reckon that it will be a similar circus to the Nally case.

vibe666

metman wrote: »

Sheeeeiiiitttt.

lol, was the first thing i thought of when I saw 'Baltimore' in the title.

Trojan911

metman wrote: »

An off-duty Baltimore County police officer shot two suspected burglars in his home early yesterday, wounding both, Baltimore City police said.

Right 'n' Proper too. They (perps) know the rules. They didn't do their homework very well ....

deadwood

SteveC wrote: »

Lucky he didn't have to run out to the car, radio for authorisation, change uniform, unlock the firearms safe and load the weapon before shooting....:rolleyes:

You mean without creasing a halfsheet first?:eek:

Eru

deadwood wrote: »

You mean without creasing a halfsheet first?:eek:

Now thats old school

Faheywitane

ForegoneReality wrote: »

I love the classic "Why didn't the Garda shoot the weapon from the burglar's hand?" :rolleyes:

I actually sat in a class inn Templemore and heard a student Garda
ask that question. I couldn't understand why she wasn't embarrassed !!

Steve

deadwood wrote: »

You mean without creasing a halfsheet first?:eek:

Without doing a what now?

deadwood

SteveC wrote: »

Without doing a what now?

Karl's right. Oldschool.

Reports were written on a foolscap page, called a halfsheet.
For some reason, you make a margin by folding a quarter of the page down its length, i.e. creasing the halfsheet.

You'll still hear a guard requesting something or other (e.g. a left-handed tie) and being told to "crease the halfsheet on it", in other words - you have to put it in writing before I refuse it.

oleras

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

Besides, we dont have the same rights to self defence as the US does. In fact, if you jump a burglar in your own home and say, break his arm, he can legally sue you for damages and win then have you charged with assault.

Was the law not changed recently where a homeowner has a right to defend himself and his property ?

eroo

Faheywitane wrote: »

I actually sat in a class inn Templemore and heard a student Garda
ask that question. I couldn't understand why she wasn't embarrassed !!

Just because someone doesn't know something, doesn't mean they should be embarrassed.

Eru

oleras wrote: »

Was the law not changed recently where a homeowner has a right to defend himself and his property ?

yes and no, was talked about but very little changed. You have the right to defend yourself and property but the grey areas in the application through both criminal and civil law is something you just dont want to end up in.

Basically, Ireland doesnt have any set definition of 'reasonable force' in either statute or case law which makes it very vague compared to the US which has clearly defined rules governing the use of force and the level of force justified. Google the 'Castle doctrine' now thats clear cut.