Baltimore County Police Partially Identify Detectives Who Shot Driver Of Car That Allegedly Rammed Police Vehicle
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore County police on Monday released the last names of the four detectives who shot the driver who allegedly rammed a police vehicle last week while a special unit was arresting two people.
All four detectives, who are part of the Criminal Apprehension Support Team and were making the arrests in connection with a 2021 homicide, have at least 15 years of service with the department.
They've been identified as:
- Det. G. Depew, 16 years of service
- Det. R. Johnson, 33 years of service
- Det. B. Lange, 15 years of service
- Det. J. Trenary, 15 years of service
Baltimore County Police Department spokesperson Joy Stewart said the driver, who was struck an unknown number of times, remains hospitalized.
About 1 p.m. last Thursday, five officers were near the intersection of Maryland and Avon avenues in Dundalk to arrest two people when a black Infiniti allegedly rammed a police car.
Four of the detectives opened fire. Police said the officers rendered immediate aid until medics arrived, which is when the patient was transported to Shock Trauma.
The four officers who fired their weapons have been placed on administrative leave.
The driver was not one of the two people the apprehension team came to arrest, police said. One of the detainees was eventually released.
One eyewitness at the scene told WJZ he grew up with the person who was shot, and they are good friends. He claimed the driver was a victim, trying to get away from police out of fear.
"He'd never try to cause nobody problems or nothing like that, he just wanted to hang out with people, chill, he was a cool kid," the man said.
None of the officers at the scene of the shooting were wearing body cameras. Stewart told WJZ that certain specialized units do not wear them.
Stewart told WJZ Baltimore County Police are budgeted to receive 425 additional body cameras, which will be given to all special investigation bureaus, including the units that don't currently have them.
According to an analysis of the department's proposed FY2022 budget, all officers are set to have body-worn cameras by 2025.
Police also revealed Monday the arrests were made in connection with the murder of Rosario "Tony" Valenti, who was stabbed while leaving a Papa's Smokehouse in Dundalk around midnight on Feb. 26, 2021.
Police charged 39-year-old Edward Glaze, 40-year-old Brandon Vogelsang, 41-year-old Brian Rodriguez, 36-year-old Jeffrey Hamrick, 39-year-old Eugene Epkins, and 41-year-old Jessica Cruz with first-degree murder.