Man Charged With Assaulting Baltimore County Police Officer

HALETHORPE, Md. (WJZ) -- A man has been charged with assaulting a Baltimore County police officer.

The suspect's mother had told police that her son was "destroying the house" on Thursday.

When officers arrived to the home in the 1900 block of Halethorpe Avenue, 19-year-old Franklin Rider then fled outside.

Officers caught up with him and saw what appeared to be a handgun in one of his hands and a knife in the other. The weapons turned out to be a pair of scissors and a lighter shaped like a handgun.

Police say Rider dropped the objects and immediately started punching a three and a half year veteran of the department in the face with a closed fist. The officer used pepper spray to subdue the suspect.

Rider faces multiple charges, including first-degree assault and assault on a police officer. Investigators believe he was under the influence of drugs, alcohol or both.

The injured officer has been released from the hospital.