A Baltimore Police detective who survived after being shot in the chest Friday has been released from the hospital, a police spokesperson confirmed Sunday afternoon.
The spokesperson did not provide any other details. In the same incident, a man was killed in the exchange of gunfire with law enforcement.
The shootings happened in the 3400 block of South Hanover Street in the Fairfield area of South Baltimore.
Speaking to reporters at the scene, Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said officers were investigating a call from earlier in the week between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. He said a man had fired at least 15 rounds at people but did not hit them.
Police, he said, were questioning a man when he quickly stood, pulled out a gun and pointed it at officers. Worley said he was not sure who fired first. Law enforcement did a “phenomenal job,” he said, and told him to drop the weapon “numerous times.”
“He had plenty of chances to drop the weapon. He could have cooperated. He chose not to,” Worley said. “Just goes to show the dangers of the job our men and women face every single day out here trying to protect the citizens of Baltimore.”
First responders took the detective to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center. He had been supplementing patrol and acting as backup to the officers, Worley said.
“Luckily,” Worley said, “his protective vest saved his life.”
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said he was “extremely thankful and grateful that our officer was not severely injured in this incident.”
Scott said he and Worley spoke with the detective, who was “in as good of spirits as you can be for someone who just got shot.”
“We want to thank him and his fellow officers for doing exactly what they should be doing,” Scott said. “They did their job tonight, putting themselves at risk. Because we will continue to focus on people who are recklessly using illegal handguns and shooting at people and will not allow that to be tolerated.”
The president of the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3, Mike Mancuso, could not immediately be reached.
The Maryland Office of the Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division is investigating.
