Two dead after domestic disturbance leads to Baltimore County officers firing weapons in Parkville
BALTIMORE -- Two people are dead after a domestic incident led to multiple officers firing their weapons in Parkville, Maryland, on Friday.
Baltimore County Police have identified the deceased as 48-year-old Maxine Redfern and 52-year-old man Arnel Redfern.
Officers initially responded to reports of a domestic disturbance on the 2700 block of Maple Avenue around 11:30 p.m. After arriving at the site of the disturbance, an officer approached the residence and could hear a woman in distress inside a home, according to reports.
"Just before he knocked on the door, he could hear a woman in distress," Baltimore County Police Department Det. Anthony Shelton said.
As the door opened, the officer "immediately faced gunfire from the side of the house," Shelton said.
A preliminary investigation revealed that one person was fatally shot inside the house, according to a press statement.
The investigation determined that one person fired at the responding officers. After an exchange of gunfire, that person was found suffering from a gunshot wound outside the home. A handgun was recovered near the suspect's body, police said.
During this incident, three members of the Baltimore County Police Department discharged their weapons.
Baltimore County Police had previously responded to reports of domestic violence at the location, according to a spokesperson, with the most recent incident reported in October.
The relation between the two deceased individuals has not been confirmed. Court records dated Oct. 10, 2023, show that the two were married, shared the same address, and that Maxine Redfern was seeking a divorce.
Those records show a history of domestic violence yielding hearings in October mandating that Arnel commit to several actions, including not committing abuse and surrendering his firearms.
The loss of life stings, neighborhood resident Liz Stevens said.
"It's hard. It's painful, and just, it's someone who was there who's just gone," Stevens said. "The suddenness of it was a really deep shock."
Homicide detectives with the Baltimore County Police Department are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting.
The Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division will investigate the officer-involved shooting portion of the incident.
The office was put in charge of investigating all incidents where officer actions result in the death of a civilian. That effort was created as the Maryland Police Accountability Act of 2021.