Officer Shot, Killed Shoplifter In Giant Parking Lot: Police

CATONSVILLE, MD - Authorities say an off-duty Baltimore County police officer shot and killed a man outside the Giant supermarket off US 40 in Catonsville Tuesday morning after the suspect allegedly shoplifted and dragged the policeman across the parking lot with his vehicle while trying to get away.

The officer was in his county police uniform working a second job performing security at the Giant Tuesday morning when he saw a man walk into the store in the 6200 block of Baltimore National Pike with canvas bags and walk out, passing the registers without paying for the merchandise, police reported.

At 3:53 a.m., the officer confirmed with a store employee that the man had not paid for the items, which included household items like laundry detergent, according to the Baltimore County Police Department.

When the officer approached and tried to speak with the suspect, police said he put the vehicle into drive and despite orders to stop the Lincoln, he accelerated and tried to peel out of the parking lot, with the policeman in tow. The officer was reportedly dragged 108 feet in the parking lot, located off US 40 near Rolling Road.

The officer fired into the vehicle at the driver, killing him and bringing the car to a stop, according to authorities.

Christopher Evin Clapp, 35, of no fixed address, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Shortly before 7 a.m., officials were covering a sedan containing the body in the store's parking lot, WJZ reported.

The driver was not the only person in the Lincoln. Police said that a man in the front seat of the Lincoln was taken to the hospital for treatment of chest pains, and his account of the events matched those relayed by other witnesses. People at the scene provided similar statements regarding what happened that were consistent with surveillance footage from Giant, which police said is to be released.

Due to the fact that he was working his second job, the policeman was not required to wear his body camera, so there is no footage from that, according to officials.

As of Tuesday evening, authorities reported that they were continuing to investigate the vehicle and how the suspect came to be driving it.

The Lincoln had a North Carolina tag that was registered to a Subaru, officials said, and the Lincoln had not been reported stolen.

During the investigation, the officer has been placed on administrative status, and the case will be reviewed by the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office.

The policeman was identified as Police Officer First Class McCain of the Parkville precinct. Officials said that he has been with the force for 16.5 years and was involved in a nonfatal shooting in 2006.

Authorities reported that the officer was OK after the incident.

The store is located in the 6200 block of Baltimore National Pike, off US 40.

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File photo.