Man armed with bow and arrow shot and killed by police officer in Baltimore County
A man who was armed with a bow and arrow was shot and killed by a police officer Wednesday morning in Baltimore County, according to the Maryland Attorney General's Office (OAG).
Officers responded around 10:25 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.
Two officers encountered the man, and during the interaction, one of the officers shot the man, according to the OAG.
Officers provided medical aid until first responders arrived and took the man to a hospital, where he died.
A bow and several arrows were recovered from the scene, officials said. No other injuries were reported.
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.
Jim Mechlinski, who was in the area at the time of the shooting, told WJZ he saw a person with what appeared to be a bow in his hand.
"It definitely concerned me, but you know, you see crazy stuff all the time," Mechlinski said.
Mechlinksi said he was unsure if the person used the bow or if it was connected to the police investigation in the area.
Autumn, another neighbor who lives on Leeds Avenue, said she saw a man walking with the weapon on her security camera. She was in her backyard with her children when she heard gunfire.
"It's scary to think that you're not safe in your neighborhood," Autumn said. "And just for that, for something like that to happen, right outside of your home."
Another neighbor shared a video with WJZ of what appears to be a man walking with a bow and arrow in the middle of the day.
"I thought it was weird. I thought he might have been taken in somebody's house, or, you know, people, bow hunt and everything," Mechlinski said.
Neighbors call this a busy, but family-oriented community.
"It's a very bustling area. It's a very walkable area," Autumn said. "I was I just walked my son to school today with my other kids. We always have runners and walkers, people walking their dogs, and it's a family neighborhood, so it's usually pretty safe."
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 Baltimore County Police.
Through its investigations, the IID has the ability to 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.
