Baltimore County resident says bullets struck house as police shot man with bow and arrow

A resident in a Baltimore County community said bullets hit her house while a police officer shot and killed a man carrying a bow and arrow on Wednesday.

Officers responded around 10:30 a.m. to the 5100 block of Leeds Avenue in Arbutus after reports of a man in a black ski mask shooting at passing cars with a bow and arrow, according to a report from the Maryland Attorney General's Office (OAG).

Two officers encountered the man, and during the interaction, one of the officers shot the man, according to the OAG. The man, identified by his family as Arvel Jones Sr., died at the hospital.

Mary Bunting, who owns the house across the street from where the shooting happened, told WJZ that a bullet hit the siding and another flew through the window.

"The bullet actually did penetrate the window, and it went straight through and hit the entertainment center," Bunting said.

Bunting said the home is a rental property she owns, and two residents live inside. Fortunately, neither was home at the time.

"On the way home is when it really hit me, how bad this really could have been if she had been home and sitting on her chair watching TV," Bunting said.

Paul Cotton, who lives down the street, told WJZ he heard three quick shots and immediately looked out his window at the aftermath.

"Whoever fired the weapon wasn't didn't seem like they were concerned about where the bullets could travel," Cotton said.

Responding to mental health issues

Arvel Jones Sr. was in his 50s and was a good person, according to his son. He struggled with mental health issues, but he wasn't a threat to the community, his son added.

"He's not a threat, he's not a threat to the environment at all," Arvel Jones Jr. said in an exclusive interview. "At that moment, he might not have had his medication, but that still doesn't make it right for you to take his life."

Jones Jr. said their family is left grieving.

Dr. Gary Sprouse, a behavioral health expert, said it is challenging to respond if emotions on both sides are running high.

"You're assessing the situation on how dangerous it is," Sprouse said. "You're trying to stay calm because you're trying to get that person to be calm. That's a very complicated, difficult situation. You're trying to make sure no one else gets hurt."

Shooting prompts school lockdown, concerns from community 

Around 11 a.m., officers said three schools -- Maiden Choice, Arbutus Elementary, and Arbutus Middle -- were placed on lockdown amid a large police presence in the area. 

Officials said there was no threat to the community. 

By 1:20 p.m., the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division (IID) assumed the investigation.

IID investigates police-involved shootings in Maryland

In Maryland, all police-involved shootings are investigated by the IID as standard protocol. 

The IID said it would release the name of the victim and the involved officer within two days of the shooting, although that timeline could be extended.

The IID was created in 2021 as part of several police accountability reform bills, according to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). 

Since October 2021, the IID has investigated 71 police-involved fatal or near-fatal incidents across Maryland. Eight of those investigations involved the Baltimore County Police.

Through its investigations, the IID can determine if an involved police officer should be prosecuted for the incident that resulted in the death or injury of a person. 

Anyone with information about Wednesday's shooting in Baltimore County is urged to call (410) 576-7070 or email IID@oag.state.md.us.