Authorities Investigating Fatal Police-Involved Shooting In Reisterstown

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WJZ)--A suspect was fatally shot by police after they say he attempted to pass fake prescriptions at a Maryland pharmacy.

WJZ's Rick Ritter has the details

The call came in around 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Sky Eye Chopper 13 hovers over detectives and crime scene tape minutes after an officer was forced to open fire.

"We heard the gunshots, and we walked outside and smelled the gunpowder," said Jessie Issa, Mondo Pizza & Bar.

Authorities say it all began at the Nature Care Pharmacy off Main Street in Reisterstown.

"A man walked into Nature Care Pharmacy and passed a fake prescription. The pharmacist notified police and one officer responded promptly," said Elise Armacost, Director of Office of Media and Communications, Public Safety.

Police say they tried approaching the man in this parking lot but he led them on a foot chase across the street where confrontation broke out and shots were fired.

Police say the suspect died at the scene.

"They had like 5 to 6 people trying to work on the guy, they were trying hard," said one witness.

Police aren't saying if it was a physical struggle that unfolded between the suspect and officer and whether or not he was armed. But hours into the investigation, police have not yet recovered a weapon.

It's still unknown what the suspect's fake prescription was for.

Police say they haven't completed a search of the scene and still have several witnesses to interview.

The officer involved in the shooting was not injured and the suspect has not yet been identified.