'A Total Lockdown': Residents Relieved After Police Arrest Person Of Interest Who Shot Two Anne Arundel Co. Detectives
CURTIS BAY, Md. (WJZ) -- The news that police had arrested a person of interest in the shootings of two Anne Arundel County detectives Thursday came as a huge relief to neighbors who spent hours on edge.
Both shootings happened Wednesday and left Det. Scott Ballard and Det. Ian Preece injured.
Person Of Interest In Custody In Shooting Of 2 Detectives In Anne Arundel County
The normally quiet beach community of Curtis Bay was locked down for much of the day, until around 3 p.m. when neighbors said they heard flashbangs and saw a man walk out of a house on River Bank Court with his hands up.
"From our view in the kitchen, he like walked (out) the door with his hands up and they had him," neighbor Cailean Arrington said.
"It's a total lockdown. Nobody's getting in or out," said Zach Odani, who works in the area.
Residents in the area got robocalls overnight warning them of police activity.
William Rambo of Greenland Beach didn't sleep much after getting that call shortly after midnight.
"When that call came through, I spent the night on the couch, not in bed, so I kept alert," he said.
Grace and Jack Brown have lived in the area their entire lives and said seeing that many police officers nearby is rare.
"Not much happens in this neighborhood as far as criminal stuff goes," Jack said.
Arrington agreed.
"Last night was terrible," Arrington said. "I mean there were probably 20 cop cars in here."
Officials had asked anyone in the Stoney Beach or surrounding neighborhoods to call the police if they saw someone matching the description or suspicious activity but also asked that people in the area stay inside as officers continued to search for the suspect and investigated the shooting.
Schools in the Northeast cluster of the county were closed due to the ongoing police presence. Those schools included Northeast High School, George Fox Middle School, High Point Elementary Schools, Riviera Beach Elementary School, Solley Elementary School, and Sunset Elementary School.
5:55 a.m., 2/6/20: Due to an ongoing police search for a shooting suspect, all schools in the Northeast cluster will be closed for students and staff today.
— AACPS (@AACountySchools) February 6, 2020
All other schools will operate on normal hours.
AACPS said Old Mill Middle School North, Old Mill Middle School South, Brooklyn Park Middle School, and the Mary Moss at J. Albert Adams Academy operated on normal hours Thursday, though students who live in areas that are normally districted for Northeast High School or any of its feeder schools did not have bus service.
Schools will work with students who are absent for that reason and will allow them to make up any missed work.
Traffic in the area was also congested as police shut down several roads in the area in an effort to find the suspect.
All county public schools will reopen as normally scheduled on Friday, a spokesperson said.