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Off-Duty Officer Shot, Arrested After Firing At Deputies In Bel Air

BEL AIR, Md. (WJZ) -- Rocked by gunfire. A quiet community in Harford County takes cover in the middle of the day for a tense barricade situation. In the end, deputies say an off-duty Baltimore County police officer was the man behind it all.

Rick Ritter has more on the incident that left nearby schools and roads closed for hours.

James Ward, an off-duty Baltimore County police officer, barricaded himself inside his home.

Tense moments in Bel Air. The quiet Bright Oaks community found itself stuck in the middle of a wild shootout.

"It was very scary because we didn't know where the bullets were coming from," said William Kendall.

Around noon Thursday, the Harford County Sheriff's Office responded to a call along Stratton Court for a domestic dispute involving a suicidal subject who was drinking heavily.

Pictures obtained by WJZ show the frantic scene that flooded the area with a slew of deputies.

"I noticed the first police officer pull up. He pulled out his rifle. And then, before I knew it, there was 100 of them," said Kendall.

Deputies say inside that home, 42-year-old James Ward, an off-duty Baltimore County police officer, had fired shots and refused to come out.

"About an hour and a half, two hours later, you heard three more shots. And then 20 minutes after that, you heard several more shots," said Kendall.

Deputies say they tried negotiating with Ward for a couple of hours, but talks eventually took a turn for the worse. The Baltimore County officer fired shots in their direction.

Nearby schools dismissed early while residents and children outside were forced to take shelter.

"I'm like, get in your house. Go in, shut your door, lock the door," said Kendall.

Deputies fired back at Ward, injuring the off-duty officer before taking him into custody.

"He came down the street in handcuffs and he was bleeding," said Ron Mack.

A 19-year veteran with Baltimore County police, deputies say Ward worked in the White Marsh precinct.

The department says the 42-year-old will be suspended without pay, and they're thankful no one else was injured.

"I am shocked and saddened at the actions of one of our officers this afternoon," Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson said. "I am thankful that none of the first responders and police personnel who handled this call were physically injured. We hope that the Baltimore County officer involved in this incident receives the medical help he apparently needs so desperately."

Ward was taken to Shock Trauma with serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

The Harford County deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on routine administrative leave.

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