A Baltimore police officer was shot and a suspect was killed after a burglary escalated into a hostage situation near a synagogue in the northwest part of the city, authorities said.
Police responded to a burglary in the 6200 block of Park Heights Avenue shortly before noon on Tuesday and were met with gunfire from inside the home, Police Commissioner Richard Worley said. The 36-year-old officer, a 13-year veteran, was shot in the leg and taken to the Shock Trauma Center, where he was listed in stable condition.
A female hostage jumped from a window to escape, and later the suspect appeared at a window with a gun to the head of another victim, a family member. SWAT officers arrived and a sniper shot the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The second hostage was taken to hospital for evaluation but was not injured.
Police said the incident was not connected to the nearby synagogue. Mayor Brandon M. Scott expressed gratitude that no one else was seriously hurt, and Governor Wes Moore offered state support. The Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division is investigating the shooting.
