Detective fights for life following violent multiday manhunt in Maryland

BALTIMORE -- A detective who was gunned down during a massive manhunt that spanned across two counties is fighting for his life at a hospital in Baltimore City.

In the early hours of Friday morning, he was kept alive via life support after sustaining injuries to his torso and extremities, according to Shock Trauma Chief Dr. Thomas Scalea.

Law enforcement officials said he made it through a round of surgery and spent Friday evening recovering.

But he will need a significant amount of reconstruction, Scalea said during a press conference held outside the hospital amid the manhunt.

WJZ has learned from sources that the detective shot by Linthicum was working near the intersection of Warren Road and Bosley Road on Thursday night.

Sources said the detective saw a person, who turned out to be Linthicum, walking on the road and approached him.  Linthicum pulled out a rifle and began shooting at the detective.  He shot the second officer multiple times and left him with serious injuries, according to authorities. That officer was flown by helicopter to Shock Trauma.

The detective returned fire, but Linthicum was able to get into the detective's car and flee the scene.  

The detective was later airlifted to Shock Trauma.

David Folderauer, the president of Baltimore County's fraternal order of police, told WJZ that the detective wasn't the only person trying to recover from the shooting.

"It's not just them who are going through the injuries," he said. "It's all the other officers that were part of this and the things that they're feeling, and the emotions that they're going through.

One man said he encountered Linthicum in Cockeysville moments before he shot the detective.

"At about 9:10 I'm driving across the bridge and I see somebody walking down the street," a witness named Ezra told WJZ.

The witness said Linthicum was wearing a black hoodie. His left arm was hidden but he had his right thumb out as though he were "kind of maybe seeing if I would stop," Ezra said.

Ezra continued driving until he saw some law enforcement vehicles. He informed the officers there that Linthicum was nearby.

"As soon as I saw that person, I was like, 'that's him,'" he said.

Afterward, Ezra drove to Poplar Hill.

"About two or three minutes later, I see the truck go by me," he said. "The truck that he stole—and I didn't know it at the time like I had no idea what was going on—then all of a sudden like 20 police cars go flying in that direction."

The detective was the second officer injured by Linthicum.

The first officer was shot on Wednesday. He has already returned home to recover from his injuries.