CURTIS BAY, Md. — Just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, police received a complaint for a child custody dispute.
Officers received a call from a mother that was in the area to pick up her teenage son who had been with his stepfather. However, the stepfather, who has been identified as Eric Glen Banks, Jr., was refusing to return the teen.
According to the mother, her son was not answering his phone and Banks was not advising him to leave, so she believed that he was being held against his will.
Officers arrived to the 1400 block of Stony Point Way in Curtis Bay and began to question Banks about the teen's whereabouts. Initially, he told police that the teenager left the residence and left his belongings behind, but officers still searched the exterior and interior of the home.
Once they made it to the top floor, one of the officers saw a hole in the wall with a white cover leaning on it. Banks said it was his gun safe, but when asked if it's usually left open like that, he replied, "No."
When one of the officers went to search the area, Banks walked toward him and said, "Let me help you." He was immediately advised to back up.
The officer proceeded to look inside the hole and discovered the body of Banks' stepson.
Banks was put into handcuffs and one of the officers attempted to put him inside a police car, but he became combative and refused to cooperate.
While the officer was trying to buckle him in, Banks, who is a current member of the Baltimore Police Department, kept telling the officer that his handcuffs were not double locked, so when the officer went to correct them, Banks got one of his hands loose, unbuckled his seatbelt and tried to run away.
The officer caught him and he was placed back into the car and buckled in. Banks, once again, began to say that his cuffs weren't double locked. The officer told him that they were and Banks started saying that he wanted to kiss his kids.
After unbuckling himself for the second time, he stood up and attempted to disarm the officer by reaching for his department issued handgun.
The officer held onto the firearm and holster and tried to push Banks away. The two began to wrestle over the firearm.
At this point, several other officers arrived and helped get Banks under control and into full custody.
He has been charged with First and Second Degree Assault, Reckless Endangerment, Disarm a Law Officer, Resist/Interfere with Arrest, and Fail to Obey a Lawful order in the incident with the officer.
The Baltimore Police Department issued to following statement on the situation:
"The Baltimore Police Department is aware of an ongoing investigation involving one of our members in Anne Arundel County. The member’s police powers were previously suspended and now they will be suspended without pay, while this current case is investigated by the Anne Arundel County Police Department."
No charges have been brought against Banks in the death of the teenage boy.
The cause and manner of death are pending examination by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Police are investigating and will release more details.
Stay with WMAR-2 News for the latest.
