Baltimore County Officer Charged in Attempt to Rob Dundalk Drug Dealer

A Baltimore County police officer was suspended without pay Thursday after attempting to rob a Dundalk drug dealer, according to police, who said the officer admitted after being charged that he is addicted to Oxycodone.

Joseph Stanley Harden, 31, of the 700 block of York Road, was charged with attempted burglary, attempted robbery, possession of drugs other than marijuana and malicious destruction of property, online court records show.

Harden is an officer in the Parkville precinct who has been with the department for 10 years, police said.

On Tuesday evening in Dundalk, he was driving a gray Toyota sedan on North Boundary Road “at a high rate of speed” when he was pulled over for speeding, police said. He was wearing a gray shirt and his police badge around his neck, according to a report from the Baltimore County Police Department.

He was not cited for a traffic violation, as police thought he was responding to a nearby burglary call or checking the surrounding area, Baltimore County Police Department spokeswoman Elise Armacost said.

After Harden drove away, officers realized that he matched the description of the suspect in a burglary that was just reported in the 8200 block of Boundary Road, Armacost said.

In that incident, a man called 911 to report that someone identifying himself as a police officer was kicking in his door at approximately 7:30 p.m., the report said.

After speaking with the burglary victim (a self-identified drug dealer) and serving multiple search warrants, police determined the suspect was Harden, who had been purchasing Oxycodone for several months from another drug dealer, according to the report.

On Tuesday, Harden had purchased Oxycodone from his dealer, Stephen Gomez of the 500 block of 47th Street; and within an hour, Harden requested more pills, police said.

Gomez had purchased the pills from another dealer—the man who lived on Boundary Road—so they went there together, and Harden tried to force his way in, according to the report.

At that point, the dealer ran out the window, fearing for his safety, and called police, the report said.

Harden was arrested Thursday morning and charged Thursday night, according to police. He admitted to his involvement in the attempted burglary and told officials that he was addicted to Oxycodone, police said.

Harden was suspended without pay and released on $100,000 bail, police said.

Gomez was charged Friday with attempted burglary, possession with intent to distribute, possession of paraphernalia, robbery, distribution of narcotics and other offenses.

Police said the victim is not being charged at this time.

While he is now suspended from his position, Harden has been on modified duty since a June 2013 incident at the Colony Motel in White Marsh that left him injured, police said.

In that case, a suspect who was trying to run over a woman in the parking lot with a scooter “engaged [three] officers in a violent physical fight” when he dislodged one of the officers’ guns from its holster, police said.

The officer screamed for help and as the suspect tried to rip her gun from the holster, Harden fired his weapon, fatally shooting the suspect, police said. According to standard procedure, a panel within the police department, the homicide unit and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office investigated the shooting. Police said all three determined it was justified.

Photo credit: Baltimore County Police Department