The Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office has ruled that a fatal police involved shooting that occurred after a shoplifter dragged an officer with his car had been ruled justified.
In a letter from the Deputy State’s Attorney, it is noted that Officer McCain was “reasonably in fear that he would be continually dragged by the car or run over by the car.”
On August 1st, the shoplifter was shot and killed by an off-duty Baltimore County Police officer after trying to steal laundry detergent from a Giant in Catonsville a little after 4 a.m. in the morning.
The officer was working his second job as security at the Giant when he witnessed the suspect attempting to steal items from the store.
“He watched the subject as he went through the store and then he watched the suspect exit the store, passing all the working registers, not attempting to make any payment for those products as he walked out of the store,” Officer Jennifer Peach, a spokeswoman with the department, had said.
Then shortly thereafter, the accused thief tried escaping in an older model Lincoln sedan. The officer ran to the driver’s side window to stop him and then somehow got pinned to the getaway vehicle, and dragged more than 100 feet.
The officer fired a few shots to get free; at least one of those shots hit and killed the thief, which caused the car to stop.
The suspect has been identified as Christopher Clapp.
RELATED: 1 dead in officer-involved shooting at Giant Food in Catonsville
