BALTIMORE _ A Maryland State Police trooper fatally shot a man who police said dragged the trooper after being pulled over for a traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Elkridge early Friday morning, officials said.
The man, who has not yet been identified, was weaving in and out of lanes on Interstate 95 when the state trooper initiated a traffic stop near Route 100 in Elkridge, police said. Shortly after 2 a.m., the driver pulled over onto the shoulder and the trooper, who was also not identified, called for backup to conduct a routine sobriety test, according to a Friday news release sent out by Maryland State Police.
The troopers asked the man, whom state police identified as a Hispanic male with no identification on him, to step out of the car. He was showing "obvious signs of impairment," according to the release, and refused to step out of the vehicle.
The trooper on the driver's side attempted to reach into the car through the window and take the keys from the ignition but was not successful, according to the release. The driver started the car and put the car in drive with the trooper's arm still inside. The trooper was dragged more than 2,000 feet down the interstate, state police said, and shot the driver with his agency-issued pistol, state police said.
The driver was pronounced dead by emergency medical service personnel on the scene, per the release, while the trooper is being treated at Shock Trauma for his injuries. His condition was not immediately known. The second officer found him not far from where the car stopped moving, state police said.
It comes as supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement highlight the disproportionate killing of Black people by the police and call for an end to structural racism and more humane tactics. In the last week alone, protests have swelled around the country to raise awareness of the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, whom Kenosha, Wisconsin, police shot in the back in front of his children during an arrest.
The Howard County shooting is being investigated by the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit, as is procedure, according to the release.
In an email, Maryland State Police spokeswoman Elena Russo said body camera footage captured the incident but will not be release at this time, as it is being review as part of the investigation. She did not say when it was expected to be released.
Russo said Maryland State Police policy does not prohibit officers from reaching inside vehicles during traffic stops "if circumstances are warranted."
The investigation will be submitted to the Howard County State's Attorney's Office for review. The Howard County State's Attorney and members of his staff visited the scene this morning and will continue to receive briefings from investigators, according to the release.
