1 Of 3 Suspects Injured In Officer-Involved Shooting Dies
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Baltimore County Police Department is investigating a police-involved shooting in the Woodlawn area that has resulted in the death of a 20-year-old suspect, and seriously injured two others.
Rashad Daquan Opher is the suspect who died, and police say the other suspects are still in the hospital.
Police believe these suspects are responsible for a number of recent armed robberies at liquor and convenience stores. Authorities say the suspects worked together and took turns robbing these businesses.
"Just this past weekend we actually experienced more of these robberies, armed robberies that has suspects that were matching a certain description, using a particular methodology," said Sgt. Andrea Bylen, of the Baltimore County Police Department.
The police shooting happened Monday night, just before midnight, near the intersection of Walnut Street and Englewood Avenue.
Police were investigating multiple reports of armed robberies that had occurred in a matter of hours in western Baltimore County.
They say an officer was on patrol around 11:45 p.m. when he saw a suspicious person in the area of the Royal Farms store located in the 6400 block of Windsor Mill Road. A second officer responded to the Royal Farms store to check on the well-being of those inside when he was immediately notified that the store had just been robbed.
Police followed the suspect on foot where he got into a car with two other men in it.
"When they came upon that vehicle they were approaching it on foot and the vehicle accelerated towards the officer," Bylen said. "The officers in fear for their own lives then started to fire on that vehicle."
Baltimore County Fire Department medic crews were called immediately, and all three wounded suspects were transported to area hospitals for medical treatment.
Opher later died of his injuries. The other two suspects remain hospitalized under police guard, with multiple armed robbery charges pending.
Patrons at the store Tuesday had mixed feelings about the shooting.
"I come here like every single day and this is first time I've heard of any robbery around here," said one.
"It really didn't make sense to me," said one person. "It's sad that someone died but I was speaking to my husband I was like 'who would rob a Royal Farms that's maybe 50 feet from a police station?"
"What do I think about that? If you be in the wrong place at the wrong time but they have to do their job too, but you know you have to be sure who you're going to shoot," said Louis Turner.
"Therefore don't commit the crime if you don't want to do the time or you don't want to get killed," said Gregory Bee.
Police say a handgun was recovered from the vehicle.
The officers involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative status while the incident is reviewed, a standard procedure.
Body-worn camera footage from the scene is part of the ongoing investigation and will not be released at this time.
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