Suspect Killed by Police in Domestic Incident in Elkridge: Howard County Officials

ELKRIDGE, MD - A man was fatally shot by police Saturday morning in Elkridge after police said he broke into the home of his estranged wife and assaulted three officers.

At 8:52 a.m., authorities said a woman called 911 to report that her estranged husband was at her home in the 6300 block of Woodland Forest Drive; as she screamed for help that he was breaking in, the phone dropped.

The woman had reportedly said there was a protective order against the man — William Mathis, 41 — and that he may be on PCP. There were three young children in the home at the time of the break-in, according to police.

When officers arrived at the scene, police said they found the back door shattered.

Authorities entered the home and encountered Mathis, who allegedly strangled one officer and struggled with two additional officers before he was shot, police reported.

Officials said that Mathis, of no fixed address, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Two officers were taken to local hospitals with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to police, who said the woman and children were uninjured.

Image via Shutterstock.