Baltimore County detective shot during manhunt gives emotional testimony in David Linthicum trial
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore County Detective Jonathan Chih cried on the witness stand Thursday during emotional testimony as he recalled being shot in the line of duty in February 2023.
A video of that shooting, obtained by WJZ, was repeatedly shown in the trial of David Linthicum, who is charged with attempted murder in the shooting of two Baltimore County officers.
Emotional testimony
Detective Chih broke down several times while testifying Thursday at David Linthicum's attempted murder trial.
"It felt like I got punched in the face," he said of the pain right after the shooting.
Chih described the encounter as "a bad nightmare. I couldn't get up, and I couldn't do anything."
He cried briefly after telling jurors he worried he would never see his father again or make it to his upcoming birthday celebration.
"The next thing I thought was, whoever it was was going to stand over me and shoot me," Chih said.
What the video shows
The incident started with a 911 call from David Linthicum's father, John Linthicum, saying his son was armed and having a mental health crisis.
When officers arrived at the home in Cockeysville, they questioned the father who said his son had weapons.
"He's talking about suicide. He wants to kill himself," John Linthicum said.
Officers then entered the house behind the dad and tried to make contact.
"David, it's Officer Arnett, can I talk to you?" Officer April Arnett said after knocking on a door leading to David Linthicum's basement bedroom.
Linthicum's father used a screwdriver to open the lock.
"I want to go first. If he's going to shoot somebody, I'd rather him shoot me," he told the officers.
Officer Barry Jordan was first to follow Linthicum's dad down the stairs where they encountered David sitting on his bed with a rifle.
"David, are you going to shoot me? He's got a gun," his father said.
David Linthicum quickly opens fire—16 times.
"Get out! Get out!" the officers screamed as they fled outside for their lives. That is when Officer Arnett notices Officer Jordan was shot.
"Barry, you are hit. You are hit! Where's the ambulance?" she asked.
Officer Jordan first made sure Linthicum's dad was safe. He also asked about his son. "Is he still alive?" "Yes," David Linthicum replied.
Officer David Allen drove Officer Jordan to a waiting ambulance while David Linthicum went on the run.
Shooting during manhunt
The next day, with the manhunt still underway, Detective Chih checked out a suspicious person hitchhiking in the dark on Warren Road.
He was in the area to see his parents following a shift at the Woodlawn precinct.
Chih testified that he believed Linthicum was at his home on Powers Avenue at the time after listening to police radio chatter, despite the massive response of more than 500 officers.
He drove his unmarked Dodge Ram down the winding road and passed a person walking in a black hoodie.
Chih pulled over, turned on his lights and got out.
"Chih, you got a look?" a supervisor asked.
"I'm out with him. I think he's trying to hitchhike. I'm making contact," Chih replied.
He then spoke to the man. "What's going on? What's up?" Chih asked, testifying he could only make out a silhouette.
"You trying to kill me?" Linthicum asked him.
"No, why?" Chih said.
Linthicum then opened fire 14 times.
Chih managed to reach his service weapon and fired back at the truck.
Squealing tires were heard as Linthicum took off in it.
Next, Chih tried to get himself out of the road fearing he would be run over.
He was struck multiple times and was suffering life-threatening injuries.
The encounter lasted less than 30 seconds.
Fellow officers quickly responded as Detective Chih screamed in pain.
"Ahhh, it's me. It's me! He's in my truck. He went down the bridge. I'm shot! I'm shot! I'm shot!" he cried out.
Another officer worked to stabilize him before Chih was taken by ambulance then helicopter to Shock Trauma in Baltimore.
Linthicum fled to Harford County where he was eventually arrested unharmed.
Defense questions police response
Defense attorneys blame police for a lack of caution when approaching David Linthicum.
Linthicum's attorney Deborah Katz Levi asked Chih why he stopped his truck, alone, during a manhunt for an armed, dangerous and suicidal person.
"Nobody said, 'Hey, Chih, he is really mentally ill?" Levi asked.
She introduced his radio transmissions and asked him if police used "time and space" and whether they "engaged immediately" in tense situations like these.
"I could've done a lot of things differently that night," Chih said.
Levi asked him whether he regretted getting out of his truck that night.
"It's a difficult question," Chih responded.
Detective Chih admitted he still had not been questioned by police as part of their investigation into the shooting.
"Would it have been helpful to look back and see how everybody could've done better?" Levi asked.
"Yes, absolutely," Chih responded.
Levi pressed him about the investigation.
"I'm sure they did an investigation. I don't know. I'm not privy to that," the detective said.
