1 Hospitalized After Officer-Involved Shooting: Police

MIDDLE RIVER, MD – An early morning traffic stop resulted in gunfire and an arrest in Middle River, according to the Baltimore County Police Department.

Around 2 a.m. on Thursday, an officer attempted to pull over a vehicle with suspected ties to narcotics, police said.

The driver stopped on Old Eastern at Harrison avenues, but not before a passenger got out and started walking toward Eastern Boulevard, according to police.

When the passenger ceased walking and had an exchange with the officer, he suddenly put his hand in the area of his waistband and turned toward the policeman, who feared the individual was armed and fired his weapon, hitting him at least once, police said in a statement.

The man was hospitalized, and his condition was unknown, police said Thursday morning.

The officer is on administrative assignment pending the outcome of an investigation.

The driver was taken into custody and the vehicle towed after suspected narcotics were recovered at the scene, according to police, who said a loaded handgun was found inside the vehicle. Police said the gun was discovered after authorities obtained a search warrant for the vehicle.

The Baltimore County Police Department’s homicide unit was handling the investigation, including surveillance footage from a nearby business. The state’s attorney will review the case.