Baltimore County Officer First Class Swinney Shot In The Line Of Duty Released From Shock Trauma
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore County Officer First Class Swinney left the ambulance bay at Shock Trauma in a wheelchair six days to the hour after he and Baltimore City Officer Robert Adams were wounded in northeast Baltimore.
A large group of fellow officers saluted Swinney as he was released from the hospital.
Adams was shot in the calf and Swinney was shot in the abdomen and leg just after noon last Wednesday.
Shock Trauma's Physician-in-Chief Thomas Scalea said Swinney was "in great spirits."
Baltimore County police do not release the first names of their officers.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- 'Bomb Going Off' | Residents Stunned After Two Officers Shot In NE Baltimore Neighborhood
- 'Their Daily Sacrifice Does Not Go Underappreciated' | Officials Praise Officers Injured In NE Baltimore Shooting
- Tense Moment Captures Injured Officer Being Loaded Into Ambulance After Police-Involved Shooting In NE Baltimore
- 2 Officers Shot While Serving Warrant In Northeast Baltimore, Suspect Was Former State Correctional Official
- BPD Detective Rob Adams, Shot While Serving Warrant In NE Baltimore, Continues To Recover
"He's made a good recovery," Dr. Scalea told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. "He will certainly have a fair amount of rehab in front of him, but he's going to do it as an outpatient—so we are happy things turned out as well as they did."
Dr. Scalea said a tourniquet likely saved Officer Swinney's life.
"He had a large amount of blood at the scene. He came in—even with the tourniquet on—not doing real, real well. There was very little question in that moment that had he not had the tourniquet applied—then he might not have survived to get to the hospital."
Officer Swinney is a 31-year veteran of the department. Both he and Officer Adams were shot in an apparent friendly fire incident.
They were part of a large local-federal task force serving a warrant on Michael Marullo, wanted for attempted murder out of Pennsylvania.
Video from the scene on Radecke Avenue shows Marullo coming toward officers. Police say he had a fully loaded weapon but never fired a shot from it. Marullo died at the scene.
Baltimore City police are leading that investigation and have not provided an update this week.
Baltimore County Police Chief Melissa Hyatt said she is just glad her officer is well enough to go home.
"There could be absolutely nothing better than what we saw happen," Chief Hyatt said. "For our officer to have been shot in the line of duty last week and to be leaving Shock Trauma today—thanks to the incredible efforts of Dr. Scalea and his entire team. We are just incredibly grateful and we just have so much to celebrate today."
