Maryland sheriff's deputy critically wounded in shooting

Maryland sheriff's deputy critically wounded in shooting
Maryland sheriff's deputy critically wounded in shooting

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. (AP) — A sheriff's deputy in Maryland was shot and critically wounded on Saturday by a suspect who opened fire after a traffic stop led to a chase, the sheriff's office said in a news release.

The Calvert County Sheriff's Office said the suspect — Brandon Alexander Turner, 21 of Greenbelt, Maryland — also had been shot and had injuries that weren't considered life-threatening.

The deputy, James Flynt, was in critical condition at a hospital on Sunday, the sheriff's office said.

Turner and an unidentified passenger in his vehicle were taken into custody. Turner faces charges that include attempted first-degree murder and second-degree assault of a law enforcement officer.

Turner was in stable condition at a hospital, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office said Turner drove off after a traffic stop in Dunkirk, Maryland, around 9:30 p.m. and opened fire at deputies chasing the vehicle, striking a patrol car.

Running away from his vehicle, Turner fired more rounds and shot the deputy, the release said. Other deputies shot at Turner, who was arrested near the entrance to a neighborhood, the sheriff's office said.

Flynt is a five-year veteran of the sheriff's office who previously served as a correctional deputy at the Calvert County Detention Center.

Two other deputies involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave, a standard procedure.

The sheriff's office is investigating the shooting. The state Attorney General's office was notified of the shooting but declined to take over the investigation "based on a lack of qualifying factors," the sheriff's office said.

Calvert County is in southern Maryland, southeast of Washington, D.C.

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