Baltimore County Police Officer Shooting Suspects Apprehended, Tied To Area Burglaries
A manhunt in the Perry Hall suburb of Baltimore County has come to an end today, and four teenage suspects are in the custody of Baltimore County Police after an officer, now identified as Police Officer First Class Amy Caprio, was killed while responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle. Caprio was “critically injured” when she encountered one of the suspects currently in custody.
Fox News says that the investigation showed that the four teen males under arrest were involved in a rash of local robberies. The Baltimore County Police and Fire Twitter account shared information about the investigation.
“Detective(s) have verified that the group were involved in burglaries in the area. Officers will be in the area today to canvass for property stolen during these burglaries.”
At this time, only one of the four minors has been identified by name as he is being charged as an adult with first-degree murder. Dawnta Harris from Baltimore admits that he “drove at the officer [Caprio]” after she told him to get out of the car. At that time the other three teens were allegedly still burgling the home.
Officer Amy Caprio was wearing a body camera and the footage is currently being reviewed by Baltimore County Police.
#BCoPD are confirming the slain officer is Police Officer First Class Caprio. She was a 3 year, 10 month veteran of the Baltimore County Police Department. This continues to be an active investigation and more details will be released throughout the day. ^NL pic.twitter.com/i91cie92Sx
— Baltimore County Police Department (@BaltCoPolice) May 22, 2018
The Baltimore County Police Department shared a press release about the death of Officer Caprio and the suspects in custody. Currently, the only suspect identified by name is 16-year-old Harris, who is a Baltimore City resident and who has a bail hearing in Towson, Maryland, later this afternoon.
The release continues to say that Officer Caprio had been working out of the Parkville precinct when she responded to a call on Linwen Way yesterday at 2 p.m. local time.
“A 911 caller reported a black Jeep Wrangler near her home, and said three ‘suspicious subjects got out of it and were walking around homes.’ The caller said then said the suspects had broken into the home, and that the first arriving officer was on the ground after confronting the driver of the Jeep.”
The black Jeep was later found abandoned in nearby Nottingham near where Harris was later arrested. While the intense manhunt was underway, 2,000 students were on lockdown at nearby schools and were only dismissed after 7:30 p.m., when their parents were allowed to pick them up.
At this time, police are only willing to say that Officer Caprio died of her injuries at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Essex, according to police spokesman Cpl. Shawn Vinson.
“She was pronounced dead at 2:50 p.m.”
Suspect arrested yesterday has been identified as Dawnta Anthony Harris (16) of the 1600 block of Vincent Court, 21217. ^NL pic.twitter.com/Ny7UtPlmXa
— Baltimore County Police Department (@BaltCoPolice) May 22, 2018
But a Perry Hall resident, Tony Kurek, 54, said that his son, Dakota, witnessed the Jeep hit Officer Caprio. He says that Dakota ran into the house yelling.
“‘Dad, Dad, a cop just got run over out front,'” the son called out.
Kurek said that his son saw the officer draw her weapon on the suspect, ordering him out of the car. Dakota says he saw the impact.
“She basically landed almost in front of my mailbox,” Kurek explained.
Kurek explains that he called 911 while another son, Logan, a volunteer fireman, started CPR on Officer Caprio. It is Kurek’s voice that can be heard on the 911 call requesting help for the fallen officer.
“She was young. It just breaks your heart,” he said.
