Father Of Teen Shot By Harford County Sheriff's Deputy Speaks Out
BEL AIR, Md. (WJZ) -- The father of a 19-year-old shot by a Harford County deputy this weekend says his son had a problem with depression.
Pat Warren reports Seth Beckman of Bel Air had reportedly broken into a snowball stand when he was confronted by the deputy.
A Harford County family looks for answers in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Seth Beckman.
"He has been battling--like the last nine months--some mental health issues and depression," said Glen Beckman.
But what caused the former Fallston athlete to go on a tear Saturday night is a mystery.
The owner of a snowball stand Beckman reportedly broke into says witnesses told him what happened.
"This guy came out of the 7-Eleven like a wild man, started pounding on him. He was dropping the f-bomb and every other word you can think of. The kid's face was really pummeled when I talked to him. He was all swollen and beat up and he said, `I was just standing there and the next thing you know, this guy came running across the street and started beating the h--- out of me,'" said Edward Castronova, Sharon's Shaved Ice.
Beckman then broke into the snowball stand and was trashing it when the sheriff's deputies arrived.
"That's when the guy came out like a raving maniac and charged right at the police officer and he had to shoot him to defend himself," a witness said.
Glen Beckman says the behavior described seems out of character.
"He grew up always very compassionate for people and like a peacemaker between conflicts," Beckman said.
Beckman tells WJZ his son was a dedicated athlete, aggressive on the football field but gentle by nature. He was seeing a psychiatrist and was prescribed medication.
"He was definitely in a funk, had a hard time holding jobs. We were getting him headed in the right direction but he got quite a bit depressed," Beckman said.
The family is waiting for more information about the shooting.
"I have to believe they did what they felt necessary until I find any evidence that dictates otherwise," Beckman said.
Police are waiting for a toxicology report but Seth's father says he believes drugs were involved.
The deputy involved in the shooting is on administrative leave, the protocol for such investigations.
