Baltimore County Police Charge 3 More Teens In Officer's Death

PERRY HALL, MD — Baltimore County police have identified the police officer killed in the line of duty Monday, and released more details about the death of Police Officer First Class Amy Caprio, 29. She was responding to a suspicious vehicle call on Linwen Way in Perry Hall when she was hit by a group of burglary suspects' SUV and killed, but she fired a shot at the oncoming Jeep in the process. Four Baltimore teens are being charged in her death, which Baltimore County officials confirmed is the first female line-of-duty death in the department's 144 years.

Dawnta Anthony Harris, 16, of the 1600 block of Vincent Court in Baltimore, is being charged as an adult with first-degree murder. The three other teens' names were released Wednesday morning.

Eugene Robert Genius, 17, Derrick Eugene Matthews, 16 and Darrell Jaymar Ward, 15, all of Baltimore, have been charged with first degree murder and first degree burglary. They're all being tried as adults.

Baltimore County Police said Tuesday they have arrested three other teenage boys who are suspects in the death of Caprio. Detectives also confirmed that they believe the four teens were involved in burglaries in the area of Linwen Way, where the Caprio was fatally wounded.

Caprio's viewing will be at Schimunek Funeral Home, 9705 Belair Rd. in Perry Hall, WJZ reported. The funeral will be held Friday, May 25, at Mountain Christian Church, 1824 Mountain Rd. in Fallston.

- See Officer Caprio's obituary here

Cpl. Shawn Vinson, a police spokesman, said that just before 2 p.m. Monday there was a call for a suspicious vehicle on Linwen Way with several people walking around and breaking into houses there, and Caprio responded. Caprio followed a black Jeep Wrangler to a cul-de-sac on Linwen Way, got out of her patrol vehicle and ordered the driver, identified later as Dawnta Harris, to get out of the Jeep. Harris began to exit the Jeep, then got back in and quickly accelerated, driving toward and striking Officer Caprio, police said.

Neighbors called 9-1-1 reporting that the officer had been struck by a vehicle and may have been shot. One neighbor, a paramedic, ran to Caprio's aid to begin life-saving efforts. She was taken to MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center with traumatic injuries and pronounced deceased at 2:50 p.m. Monday. The preliminary results from an autopsy show the cause and manner of death to be homicide by traumatic injuries incurred as a result of being struck by the suspect vehicle. No evidence of a gunshot wound was found, authorities said.

The Search for Suspects

Harris fled in the Jeep, which was soon reported found abandoned in the 9500 block of Dawnvale Road with a bullet hole in the front windshield. Detectives have confirmed that Officer Caprio fired her service weapon at the driver just before being struck by the Jeep. The SUV was stolen out of Baltimore City, and had a stolen tag attached at the rear.

Local, state and federal police officers searched the area along Belair Road between Forge and Ebenezer roads, along with a number of area neighborhood roads, throughout the night for the suspects with Harris. They were found at two separate locations in the city of Baltimore and arrested in the early morning hours.

Officer Amy Caprio

The police department described Officer Caprio as a "woman who loved her family, her husband, and her dog, Doodle. She loved the outdoors, mountain biking on the new bike she recently bought, and kayaking with her husband. She was a dog lover, making sure to have a leash and dog treats on hand when she went out on patrol - just in case. She and her husband were scheduled to begin a week of vacation this weekend to celebrate their third wedding anniversary and both of their upcoming birthdays."

Caprio graduated from Towson University with bachelor's of science degree in exercise science in 2010 with the intention of becoming a physical therapist, but found her true passion became police work. She graduated from the Baltimore County Police Department's Police Academy on December 23, 2014.

Her supervisor, Lieutenant Chemelli, said Tuesday, "It was an honor to be her supervisor. I can personally say that she had a work ethic like no other. She truly loved being a police officer and helping others - this was her passion and definitely her calling. She made the ultimate sacrifice doing a job that she loved. She will be greatly missed by our shift and will forever be our hero."

Residents around Bel Air Road and Klausmeier Road were ordered to shelter in place for hours on Monday while police searched for the suspects. Four local schools were placed on lockdown for hours and later released.

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Authorities say they can't confirm the cause of death until an autopsy is performed. Initial reports said Caprio had been shot in the head, while witnesses say she was run over by a black Jeep, which Vinson confirmed was being used by the suspects.

Baltimore County Police Chief Terrence B. Sheridan said they will review Caprio's body cam footage as a part of the investigation.

Initial reports said Caprio was shot in the head and killed, Baltimore County Police Department said there has been no confirmation that she was shot. "She did suffer a fatal injury during the course of her duties, but we are still uncertain how she obtained that injury," police said.

Vinson said police are not confirming whether shots had been fired.

Gov. Larry Hogan released the following statement on Tuesday concerning Officer Caprio's death:

We are heartbroken to lose a member of Maryland's law enforcement family, Police Officer First Class Amy Caprio. Officer Caprio was a dedicated member of the Baltimore County Police Department who was soon to celebrate four years with the force. She bravely made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and security of our citizens, and we all owe her a debt of gratitude for her selfless service.

We continue to keep Officer Caprio’s family, loved ones, her brothers and sisters in blue, and the entire Baltimore County community in our prayers. U.S. and Maryland flags will fly at half-staff through the day she is laid to rest in tribute to her service and sacrifice.

The State of Maryland continues to stand beside Baltimore County as they work to bring those responsible for Officer Caprio’s death to justice.

Schools were been placed on alert status and in lockdown. Shortly after 6 p.m., students were released from Carney Elementary, and children at Perry Hall, Seven Oaks Elementary and Gunpowder Elementary schools were released at 7:37 p.m., according the schools' Twitter feed. School officials provided meals for children.

“My heart just aches for her family,” County Councilman David Marks told WJZ TV.

“This is a bad time in the United States for law enforcement and attacks on officers,” said Chief Sheridan.

Baltimore County Council President Julian Jones Jr. offered his condolences to the slain officer’s family. "This tragedy is a solemn reminder of the sacrifice our police and public safety personnel make, and are prepared to make, every day," he said.

The Baltimore County Police Department hasn't yet announced funeral service information.

Jessica Kartalija of CBS tweeted that there are police, with guns drawn, at a residence in Perry Hall.

- Map of Linwen Way:

In November, a City of Baltimore police detective was shot in the head with his own gun and died. Detective Sean Suiter, 43, was shot with his own weapon at close range, then-police commissioner Kevin Davis said. Suiter was killed the day before he was to give grand jury testimony in the case of Baltimore officers who were indicted in March.

"Detective Suiter and his partner were in a very dangerous area following up on a brutal murder..." Davis said. The case involved a 2016 triple homicide. Detective Suiter's not interviewing schoolteachers and mailmen."

Suiter was "shot and killed with his own weapon," Davis said. "There's no other firearm that we're aware of."

Based on the investigation, there were indications of a struggle, police said. Detectives were looking into evidence that included a radio transmission and personal surveillance. Nobody has been charged in Suiter's murder.

WJZ has said this is the 11th police officer death in the line of duty in the history of the Baltimore County Police Department.

Patch will update this article as more information becomes available.

All images provided by Baltimore County police: Officer Amy Caprio, Dawnta Anthony Harris, Darrell Jaymar Ward, Derrick Eugene Matthews, Eugene Robert Genius