Man Fired At Officer Before Police Fatally Shot Him: Investigators

DUNDALK, MD — A man experiencing a mental health crisis fired a gunshot at a police officer before authorities fatally shot him in Dundalk, investigators said Monday night.

Officials have not yet released the names of the deceased and the officer involved.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said two officers with the Baltimore County Police Department responded to a 911 call about the mental health crisis. The call came in Sunday around 7:30 p.m. in the 8200 block of North Boundary Road in Dundalk.

Upon arrival, Brown said one officer contacted the 911 caller and proceeded to the alley behind the home while the other officer remained at the front door.

The attorney general said the officer in the alley encountered a man matching the description provided, and the man fired at the officer.

The officer returned fire and hit the man, Brown said.

The attorney general said officers provided medical aid until emergency medical services arrived and took the man to a nearby hospital, where he died soon after.

No officers were hurt in the exchange of gunfire.

Brown said a loaded handgun was recovered from the scene near the decedent.

The attorney general's Independent Investigations Division will investigate the case and determine if charges should be filed against the officer. This is normal protocol for all police-involved deaths.

The IID will generally release the name of the decedent and the officer who fired their weapon within two business days of the incident, but this can be extended if necessary.

The officers' body-worn cameras recorded the incident. The IID usually releases body-worn camera footage within 20 business days of an incident. This can also be extended if necessary.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact the IID at (410) 576-7070 or by email at IID@oag.state.md.us.

"We recognized in these types of incidents, even the person who was the victim or the person who was shot, they have family members, and we empathize with them, and there are a lot of people involved," Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said, according to WJZ. "We knew it could make the community feel uneasy, but this was a very isolated incident, and there's no other threat to the community."

McCullough told WJZ there have been five officer-involved shootings in 2025.

"The thing I want to point out is the danger of the number of handguns that are on the street, the number of handguns that our officers are encountering," McCullough said, according to WJZ. "More and more people are armed with handguns or armed with a knife."

Related:

• Police Fatally Shoot Armed Man Having 'Mental Health Episode': Report
• Police Shoot Missing 'Suicidal Subject' Armed With Knife: Officers
• Names Released Of Man Fatally Shot By Police, Officer Involved
• Police Fatally Shoot Man Armed With Bow, Arrow: Authorities
• Teacher Served Jail Time Before Being Charged With Shooting Cop: Court

This map shows the area where authorities said the most recent officer-involved shooting happened.