BALTIMORE — Gunfire outside the Wayward bar on South Charles Street Thursday night ended the life of off-duty Howard County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Demby, and within 24 hours, police had already tracked down his alleged killer.
“All of the circumstances of what happened are still being investigated,” said Acting Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley during a Saturday news conference, “The entire incident was caught on camera. That, along with witness testimony enabled us to act quickly to identify the suspect. I’m here to announce that the officers arrested 40-year-old Jewell Crowder of Baltimore.”
Witnesses say a fight broke out inside the bar and once people were asked to leave, Crowder allegedly approached Demby who was nearly half his age and shot him four times.
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An imposing figure, Crowder stands six foot three and weighs more than 260 pounds.
“We have to, as you heard from the police commissioner, deal with guns and illegal guns and guns in the hands of people who yet again, this is a clear example, do not have the mental capability to have that responsibility to have that weapon,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.
In court, Crowder was described as a disabled veteran who had suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism.
He served eight years in the Army before being discharged after a pair of assaults.
Prosecutors had argued that if Crowder were to be released, he would pose a threat to the general public, and in light of his criminal history, Baltimore City District Court Judge Carol Johnson agreed—-denying him bail.
Demby had joined the sheriff’s department less than a year ago to follow in his father’s footsteps serving side-by-side.
