Police Release Names Of Officers Who Fatally Shot Machete-Wielding Man In Aldi
RANDALLSTOWN, Md. (WJZ) -- Baltimore County Police have released the names of the officers who shot a machete-wielding man inside a Randallstown Aldi's.
Officer First Class Sands, a two and a half year veteran of the department, and Officer First Class Waugh, a three year veteran of the department, were the officials involved.
Machete-Wielding Man Dies After Police-Involved Shooting At Aldi
Neither officer had been involved in any previous shooting incidents in their careers.
According to Baltimore County Police, the officer was investigating a crash near the Aldi grocery store at Liberty Court Shopping Center in the 8600 block of Liberty Road around 4:17 p.m. when she was approached by a Dollar Tree employee.
The employee told the officer that a man, later identified as 24-year-old Emmanuel David Oates, had just shoplifted from their store. He pointed the suspect out to the officer.
"Our officer saw the suspect walking across the parking lot, had a bag with some items inside, a small grocery bag," Shawn Vinson, Baltimore County Police Corporal, said.
The officer tried to approach the Oates, but he continued to walk away.
Once along Old Court Road, the officer attempted to stop Oates several times, but he refused to cooperate.
Additional officers responded and the suspect began to flee.
One officer grabbed Oates' arm and he pulled a machete out from under his jacket and swung the weapon at the officer.
Baltimore County Investigating Police-Involved Shooting
"When they both went to the ground, at that point, the suspect pulled out a machete from underneath his clothing, swinging the machete and actually striking the officer in the leg," Vinson said.
Oates then fled back toward the shopping center and went inside the Aldi, wielding the machete.
Officers told the Oates to drop his weapon, but he advanced towards the officers.
They again asked him to drop his weapon, but Oates again came toward the officers.
Two officers fired their guns at the Oates, hitting him in the upper body.
"The officers were trying to retreat to the point where they couldn't retreat anymore," Vinson said.
Officers took the machete and began to give Oates first-aid until EMS arrived.
He was taken to an area hospital for treatment where he later died from his wounds.
Police say that the officers did what they were trained to do.
"We are not trained to shoot at a certain part, arm or leg, we are trained to shoot or eliminate the threat,"
The department will continue to investigate the shooting and then hand its findings over to the State's Attorney's Office which will decide whether to issue charges.
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