David Linthicum allegedly shot Fallston, Maryland, cops

A man wanted in the shooting of two Maryland police officers was apprehended early Friday after an intense two-day manhunt, followed by an hours-long standoff, authorities said.

Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies surrounded the suspect, 24-year-old David Linthicum, in a wooded area near a shopping mall in Fallston after police used spike strips to disable the car he had stolen from a detective he allegedly shot, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said.

“When some of the flash bangs went off, he commented on how much he liked fireworks,” Gahler said.

Linthicum was taken into custody “successfully and peacefully” around 5:45 a.m., more than eight hours after he barricaded himself in a rocky area near Fallston Mall.

“Our community is safer with this individual in custody where he belongs,” Gahler said at a morning news conference.

An officer was shot Thursday night during the search for Linthicum, who authorities said wounded a different officer while firing at police the previous afternoon.

The incident began unfolding Wednesday afternoon when Baltimore County officers were called to a home on Powers Avenue in Cockeysville about a person in crisis. A family member escorted the cops to the basement, where they encountered Linthicum.

As the officers spoke with Linthicum, he fired multiple shots, wounding one officer, police said. Cops did not fire their weapons during that interaction.

Authorities believe Linthicum had fled with a rifle, so they were searching the area for a weapon, Gahler said. When the arrest was made, Gahler said the suspect had ammunition with him,

Officials urged residents to shelter in place and several schools in the area were closed Thursday. The search continued into Thursday evening as police ordered residents near the home in Cockeysville to shelter in place because Linthicum was spotted in the area.

The officer injured Wednesday was taken to a hospital and officials announced later that evening that he was released and in good spirits.

Interim Baltimore County Police Chief Dennis Delp said early Friday that the detective who was shot overnight was in stable condition but on life support at Shock Trauma. He would not say how many times the officer was hit but noted he was wearing a bulletproof vest.

Linthicum was expected to be transferred to the custody of Baltimore County Police to face criminal charges.