Officer Recovers After Being Shot In The Leg

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- For the second time in the past nine days, a city cop has been shot.  This time, it was just steps from city police headquarters.

Mike Schuh has more.

Many police officers use that parking garage to park their personal cars.  A homicide detective ran to get something from his car, but he ended up at Shock Trauma instead.

Shortly after 9 p.m., a homicide detective with 13 years on the force headed over to his car.  Witnesses heard shots fired.

"The door opened, the detective observed the suspect was armed with a handgun and quickly pulled his own to protect himself," said Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld.

In the stairwell, shots between the two were exchanged.  The officer was nicked in the thigh. He fell back and injured his shoulder.  The gunman ran away and police swarmed the scene.

"And you know we're all praying for his speedy recovery," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

"We expect him to make a full and complete recovery," Bealefeld said.

Meanwhile, the manhunt continues.

"We're combing the video surveillance tapes the garage maintains," Bealefeld said.

Police say robbery wasn't a motive, but there was something about the shooter.

"The detective thinks he may have seen him earlier in the evening," Bealefeld said.

There's no indication the shooter knew the man was a police officer.

The mayor views this shooting as yet another brick in the foundation of change.

"We need stronger gun laws, we need to increase penalties for individuals who are carrying illegal loaded firearms in our streets," Rawlings-Blake said.

The officer is now out of the hospital.  He was able to give a full and complete description to his colleagues investigating the shooting.

The commissioner described the incident as a "random chance encounter."