Police: Maryland National Guard Airman Fatally Shoots Armed Man, Injures Another Outside Golden Dragon Bar & Grill
MILLFORD MILL, Md. (WJZ) -- One man is dead, another man was injured after a shooting outside a bar in Windsor Mill early Friday.
Baltimore County Police officers responded to the parking lot of Golden Dragon Bar and Grill in the 8100 block of Liberty Road around 1:45 a.m. after a man identifying himself as an off-duty officer called to report a shooting. Two men were found suffering from gunshot wounds.
As the bar was closing, a disturbance in the parking lot drew the attention of a security forces member of the Maryland Air National Guard with a gun permit who was patronizing the bar.
"I believe he was a patron inside the bar along with a group of other individuals. Nobody in his group was involved in this argument," said Cpl. Shawn Vinson with Baltimore County Police.
The airman saw a 36-year-old man with a gun. The airman drew his gun and issued commands for the other man to drop his weapon. Gunfire was exchanged. The man was struck and suffered a fatal wound. The airman was not injured.
Another 32-year-old man who was in the area was struck by gunfire. His wound was a non-fatal wound to his upper body. he was taken to an area hospital for treatment. He was later released from the hospital.
A gun was recovered at the scene of the shooting.
The man who died was identified as Jerome Dewitt Garrison of Irvington.
"A regular citizen would have a right to protect themselves or protect someone else if they felt someone was threatened. But, ultimately, it's going to be a decision up to the State's Attorney," Cpl. Vinson said.
Workers inside said windows are tinted at night so they can't see out, nor did they notice any arguments or disagreements inside at closing time. They added that security cameras cover most of the parking lot.
An officer on the scene initially told WJZ that the shooting was due to an armed robbery at the Golden Dragon Restaurant on Liberty Road, but updated information from police revealed that two people were arguing outside the restaurant and was shot by a person who identified himself as an off-duty officer. According to police, the airman attempted to break up the fight when he saw one of the men had a gun. He then took out his own weapon.
Officials said the airman ordered the 36-year-old suspect to put down the gun but the suspect refused, leading the man to fear his life was in danger and fire. The suspect was shot multiple times and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The case remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Stay with WJZ for updates.
Editor's note: Some of the information in this story changed as the breaking news unfolded. Police initially identified the shooter as an off-duty officer, but he's an airman with the Maryland Air National Guard. We've corrected this story as more information came into the newsroom. We apologize for any error.
