By Carrie Wells and Pamela WoodContact Reporters
Baltimore County police killed a robbery suspect and an officer was wounded in a mid-afternoon shootout Wednesday on busy Dundalk Avenue, police said.
The officer was listed in serious condition at a local hospital Wednesday evening, police said. A bystander was also wounded and taken to a hospital.
The incident began when police received reports of a man attempting to rob two people outside the Logan Village Shopping Center, Officer Jen Peach said.
The suspect boarded a Maryland Transit Administration bus. The bus traveled a short distance down Dundalk Avenue toward Belclare Road before it was stopped by police officers.
The suspect fired from the bus at police officers, police said, and officers returned fire. The suspect ran from the bus and died at the scene, police said.
The officer was taken to a hospital for treatment where she was listed in serious condition Wednesday evening, said Elise Armacost, another police spokeswoman.
A bystander also was wounded and was taken to a hospital. Details of how the bystander was wounded were not immediately available.
A video posted on Facebook showed a man leaning out of an MTA bus and shooting a handgun at a police car. He first leaned out of the front door of the bus, and later leaned from the rear door of the bus.
The man, wearing light-colored clothing and a hat, ran from the bus and then kneeled behind a white van parked on the street as a woman ran away, the video showed. Another person was lying down behind the van, the video showed.
People can be heard in the video screaming as the incident unfolds. The video ended with the sounds of a barrage of gunfire.
The street was cordoned off and a heavy police presence was visible.
Dundalk Elementary School was put on alert status, Wednesday afternoon, county schools spokesman Mychael Dickerson said. During an alert status, instruction continues but students have limited access to the outdoors.
Dundalk’s school day ends at 3:10 p.m. Students were dismissed without incident.
Anthony Weaver said he was working in his garage nearby and heard a popping noise that sounded like fireworks. He said he heard men arguing and more popping noises.
Barbara Barnes was driving with her sister-in-law and saw the police activity. “We knew something bad happened. When you see all these police come by you know something happened,” she said.
Barnes said she was worried that the incident happened in the afternoon at a time when children are getting out of school.
“This world is crazy,” she said.
Baltimore County Councilman Todd Crandell, a Republican who represents Dundalk, posted a request on Facebook for prayers for the injured officer.
“May God bless our men and women in blue,” Crandell wrote.
This breaking story will be updated.
twitter.com/pwoodreporter