Police: Robbery Suspect Dies On I-695 Following Pursuit, Wound May Have Been Self-Inflicted
BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) -- Baltimore County Police say a robbery suspect's death along I-695 may have been self-inflicted. The man was found suffering from serious injuries after a police pursuit through two counties Sunday morning.
According to the Harford County Sheriff's Office, deputies were assisting detectives with surveillance of a 38-year-old Forest Hill man around 7:34 a.m. when they saw him get into a 2004 Honda Accord. The man, later identified as Thomas Hoerr, III, was a "person of interest" in a robbery case.
Deputies tried to stop the man in the area of Rt. 136 and Rt. 543. The vehicle then stopped, then accelerated, refusing to stop. The vehicle continued to drive toward Baltimore County.
The Harford County Sheriff's Office contacted county police with a description of a 2004 Honda Accord being driven by a person suspected in several armed robberies around 8 a.m. At the time, deputies were pursuing the driver into Baltimore County.
"I think what makes this case noteworthy is that it is multi-jurisdictional," said Maj. Donald Gividen, the chief of police operations for the Harford County Sheriff's Office.
As they drove into the county near Philadelphia Road and Campbell Boulevard, Baltimore County police took over the pursuit. Officers followed the Honda onto the inner loop of I-695 near Route 702.
That's when the car began to move erratically, struck a guardrail several times before coming to a stop before Eastern Avenue.
When police approached the vehicle, they found the driver suffering from serious injuries. They broke the window and removed the driver, taking him to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
A weapon was recovered from inside the Honda. Police believe the driver crashed due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Harford County Police believe suspect the man in the following robberies:
- Armed Robbery on Dec. 23, 2020: High's located in the 2900 block of Churchville Road in Churchville
- Armed Robbery on Dec. 26, 2020: 7-11 located in the 3500 block of Philadelphia Road in Abingdon
- Armed Robbery being investigated by the Aberdeen Police Department.
Information on the robberies and the initial pursuit will be handled by Harford County Sheriff's Office and the Aberdeen Police Department. The Baltimore County Police Homicide Unit is continuing the investigation into this incident.
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This story was first published on December 27, 2020.