Shooting Of 2 MD Officers 'Entirely Preventable', David Linthicum's Brother Says: Report

COCKEYSVILLE, MD — The brother of the 24-year-old man accused of shooting two police officers and leading law enforcement on a three-day manhunt last week called the ordeal "entirely preventable" and blamed family, teachers, and authorities for not helping him sooner, according to a report by The Baltimore Banner.

David Linthicum of Cockeysville was charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree assault and carjacking after police arrested him following an eight-hour standoff in a wooded area of Harford County on Friday.

Police said Linthicum shot a police officer dispatched to his Cockeysville home on Wednesday afternoon. Authorities said he then shot a detective involved in the search for him Thursday.

Others who knew him described Linthicum as quiet and withdrawn. Friends told the Banner last week that Linthicum had limited social skills and had shown signs of concerning behavior patterns since high school.

Linthicum's older brother, Martin Linthicum, told the Banner his brother did not get to that place on his own.

"This was entirely preventable," said Martin, who lives in Ireland. "He should have gotten help years ago. I brought this to (the family's) attention. Nothing was done."

Martin told the Banner that his brother and father — registered sex offender John Whitaker Linthicum — were "mired in anger, bitterness and a hatred of authority figures." More than once, Martin tried to convince David to move out of their father's home, he told the Banner.

Linthicum's defense attorney's countered Martin's claims in a statement provided to the Banner.

"From what I understand, Martin Linthicum has been estranged from his brother, David for over two years, and he has no knowledge of David's current situation, mindset, or mental health status," public defenders Deborah Katz Levi and James Dills said. "This tragedy stems from a crisis response that an interview with an overseas, estranged relative cannot credibly shed light on."

On Feb. 8, Baltimore County police responded to a call about a person in distress at a home on Sherwood Road in Cockeysville. Linthicum fired several shots, hitting one officer before fleeing the scene, police said.

Officers did not fire their weapons, according to Baltimore County Police spokesperson Joy Stewart. That officer has since been released from the hospital.

Residents were asked to shelter in place as police searched for Linthicum on Wednesday night and most of Thursday. During the manhunt, Linthicum shot a Baltimore County detective several times and stole his official police vehicle.

The detective, Jonathan Chih, remains in Maryland Shock Trauma Center but was alert and recovering, Baltimore County Police told the Banner on Sunday.

Linthicum then drove out of Baltimore County and abandoned the vehicle near the intersection of Belair and Mountain roads after police used spike strips to disable the stolen vehicle, according to the Harford County Sheriff's Office. He sought refuge in a wooded area near a shopping mall in Fallston, trying to elude officers.

Police employed "less-lethal" tactics during the standoff to try to get Linthicum to surrender, authorities said, adding that officers were able to communicate with Linthicum toward the end of the standoff.

According to authorities, Linthicum had ammunition on him when he was taken into custody but no weapon. The weapon was later found in the abandoned police vehicle.