BALTIMORE _ Baltimore County police believe an officer was shot by friendly fire _ not by the suspect killed by officers as previously stated _ during an incident in Parkville on Thursday.
After reviewing body camera footage, police say they believe the suspect, 76-year-old Robert Uhl Johnson, never fired a shot. Investigators discovered his gun was not loaded.
Officials are investigating whether the officer who was shot, identified as T. Hays, was accidentally shot and wounded by another officer.
"We don't know how Officer Hays was shot, but she was not shot by the suspect," said department spokesman Cpl. Shawn Vinson Friday.
Police don't suspect there was a second gunman, Vinson said.
Hays was taken to the University of Maryland Medical System Shock Trauma with a gunshot wound to the upper body, where she is in stable condition.
The incident started when Johnson allegedly called 911 Thursday and reported that an unknown person was inside his home and waiving a gun at him before hanging up.
"It's peculiar, the tone of his voice," Vinson said of the call. "He seems calm."
Officers arrived at the home and saw him inside, seated in a chair facing the front door, police said. One officer tried to strike a conversation with Johnson, who refused to get up or exit the home, police said.
Johnson told officers he called 911 and that no one else was inside the residence. Police entered the home and directed Johnson to keep his hands in the air, police said.
He allegedly lowered his right hand down to his thigh and picked up a handgun, pointing it at the officers as he said, "I'm sorry I have to do this," according to police.
Investigators said Johnson left his will and last requests for burial out for officers to find.
Three other officers who fire their service weapons at the scene are on routine administrative leave
Three additional county police officers who fired their service weapons at the scene are now on routine administrative leave, according to a department news release. The officers were identified as J. Hummel, an 18-year veteran, A. Burns, a 17-year veteran and J. Deford, a 10-year veteran. Baltimore County police officers are identified by last name only, per an agreement with the county police union.
The three officers had no prior history of police-involved shootings, police said.
The Sarasota (Fla.) Police Department wrote on social media Thursday night that the injured officer is the daughter of Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino.
In a statement, the Sarasota department said, "Chief DiPino is in Maryland with her daughter and family."
According to the Sarasota Police Department's website, Chief DiPino started her career with Baltimore County police in 1985 before joining Ocean City police in 1998.
The department directed all other questions to Baltimore County police.
