County police shoot man through glass door
A man armed with a knife who was shot during a confrontation with Baltimore County police Sunday night has died, and a department spokeswoman confirmed a witness account that an officer fired at the man through a glass storm door.
"They killed an innocent man who needed help,” said Sandra Jacobs, whose daughter dated the man.
Det. Cathy Batton, a county police spokeswoman, said Monday that the 40-year-old man “was behind a glass door” and “was charging at the officer” with a knife in his hand. She said the officer and the man were in “close proximity.”
A statement released by police this morning said officer responded about 9:20 p.m. to the home in the 7000 block of Berkshire Road for a man threatening suicide. Officers saw Nathaniel D. McCormick “standing near the door inside the home” and ordered him to drop the knife.
Police said in the statement that he refused. “He then charged toward the front door and the officers standing on the front porch on the other side of the door. Fearing for their safety, one officer fired several rounds from his duty weapon.”
Another spokesman, Lt. Robert McCullough, said the man “was coming through the door at the officer” and at one point had been armed two knives, one with a nine-inch blade. Batton said this morning she did not know which knife he was holding when he was shot.
Police said the shooting is under internal investigation and that the officer who fired his weapon has been placed on routine administrative leave. Batton declined to release the name of the officer.
Categories: Baltimore County, Police shootings
Comments
I don't think the 15 foot defense line includes doors even in suicide by cop cases.
Good luck to the officer defending himself.
Posted by: MrRational | September 26, 2011 1:02 PM
Seems to me, with the door in between them, the police officers would have had ample time to back away from the porch while still having their weapons pointed at the man. If he had opened the door and even attempted to step outside with the knife, I would have absolutely no problem with the shooting. As it actually happened though, it looks like an officer panicked and jumped the gun to me.
Posted by: Joe Fab | September 26, 2011 9:28 PM
The idea is that, if a person will charge at an officer with a gun, or at an officer at all, while wielding a knife, that person is dangerous to everyone around. Take him out!
Shoot for the largest mass.
Posted by: Double Edge | September 26, 2011 11:03 PM
So let me understand, the guy was running at the officer and a sliding glass door stood between them. The officer was scared for his life and shot the man who later died of his injuries. Why did the officer not just mace the guy after he busted through the glass, he would have practically knocked himself out and been on the ground at that point.
Please explain why the homicide count has not increased. I hope I get selected to be on this jury.
Posted by: Phillip | September 27, 2011 10:49 AM
I have read all the posted comments, and it looks like we have alot bleeding heart liberals. What if this "Poor Man" would have hurt the Police Officer. I wonder what the comments would have been. Police must make a decision in bink eye. Put yourself in the Officer shoes.
Posted by: Mark S. Zinn | September 27, 2011 12:18 PM
@ Mark Zinn-- I WAS in the officers shoes one time. I was charged by an enraged bi-polar drunken person with a large butcher knife who came at me swearing to kill me. I fled outside of the house, closed the door and held it closed with my foot and body weight. No gun, no shooting. After a few futile stabs through the screen, it was over. A cop has a gun and uses it at the first sniff of danger. Why not use mace? a baton? call for back up? a taser? Aren't they all trained to use those non-lethal weapons as well? The decision made by the officer in a "bink" of an eye Mark, was a bad one.
Posted by: Jim | September 27, 2011 9:45 PM
that was my father love you dad
Posted by: Anonymous | September 30, 2011 2:43 PM