Director Of Police Academy Resigns; Injured Trainee Released From Shock Trauma
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Another shake-up in the Baltimore Police Department, just days after a training instructor shot a trainee in the head.
The police academy director--appointed just this week--announces he's leaving the force. Meanwhile, there's some good news in the case.
Mary Bubala has more on the improving condition of the trainee shot.
Ten days ago, a University of Maryland police trainee was rushed to a state police helicopter--suffering a gunshot wound to the head. He immediately went into surgery at Shock Trauma.
"He is stable but any thoughts or predictions about long term neurological outcome at this point are way, way too early," said Dr. Thomas Scalia, Maryland Shock Trauma.
The man was shot by his training officer--William Scott Kern--who mistook his service weapon for a training weapon during an exercise inside the old Rosewood Center.
Now less than two weeks later, sources tell WJZ that trainee is talking a little bit and even able to recognize people. Police Commissioner Anthony Batts has visited his bedside.
"The doctors have said to me he is progressing better than what they expected. However, they say this is going to be a long road and when you have those type of injuries that he has sustained, is that you can never be too sure we're out of the woods at this time," he said.
After the shooting, the commissioner shut down the police academy for a week. Six officers in the chain of command have been suspended.
A WJZ investigation has revealed a lack of staffing and supervision, and that leadership didn't even know the old hospital site was being used for training.
Maryland State Police is now conducting an investigation into what went wrong.
Two of the six officers suspended after the shooting have now been reinstated. Four are still off the job.
