Baltimore detective in ‘grave condition’ after being shot in the head

Nov. 15 (UPI) — A Maryland homicide detective is in “grave condition” after being shot in the head on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Ken Davis said the 18-year veteran, who police didn’t identify, was shot in the head while observing a man “engaged in suspicious behavior” at about 4:30 p.m.

“One of our officers was shot this evening. Please say an extra prayer for the officer and the officer’s family,” police said.

Davis said the detective tried to start a conversation with the suspicious man when the man fired at the detective’s head.

His partner rushed to his aid and helped transport him to the hospital where he remains in “very, very grave condition.”

The chief physician at Maryland Shock Trauma Center said the officer had been placed on full life support.

“He’s really, really really sick. We are doing everything we can to keep him stabilized to take care of the injury to his brain,” Dr. Thomas Scalea said. “He is well known to us. He’s a friend, he’s a colleague and sadly now he’s a patient.”

He said the “cold, callous” shooter remained at large Wednesday night and a reward of more than $60,000 was offered for information leading to his arrest.

“With this community, we’re going to identify him, we’re going to arrest him, and we’re going to ensure justice is done,” Davis said.

The detective was the second law enforcement officer shot in Baltimore this month, as a Washington D.C. police officer was shot dead wile off duty in the city last month.

Mayor Catherine Pugh said violent crime in the city has gotten “out of control.”

“Crime has to come to an end in the city,” she said. “This kind of violence cannot be tolerated.”