A Frederick County, Maryland, sheriff’s deputy shot and injured a DUI suspect early Friday after a car chase, officials said.
The suspect is in stable condition at a hospital and the deputy was not injured, according to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.
A deputy on patrol for St. Patrick's Day overnight tried to pull over a driver who was allegedly speeding and possibly intoxicated on Interstate 270 and Route 85 about 2:45 a.m., officials said.
The driver didn’t stop, and the deputy followed him to the Kingsbrook Community, officials said.
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The suspect got out of the car on Castle Court and began to run, then fired at the deputy, Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said. The deputy fired back, striking the suspect. Multiple shots were fired, Jenkins said, but he was not sure of how many.
The suspect was shot three times and was taken to a shock trauma center by ground, as helicopters were not flying due to fog at the time, Jenkins said.
The sheriff’s office said a gun was found at the scene. Another deputy was in the area and heard the shots, but she did not see the shooting, Jenkins said. The deputies were not wearing body cameras.
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The sheriff's office identified the suspect as 28-year-old Lookman-Khalil Abolajo Bello. (Earlier, they had provided his first, middle and last names in a different order.)
The deputy's name has not been released.
There was a passenger in Bello's car at the time of the incident, Jenkins said. She was not hurt and is being questioned.
Jenkins called the shooting "clear cut" but said it was early in the investigation.
“The fact is this man shot at my deputy first” and the deputy “rightfully returned” fire, Jenkins said.
He said a possible DUI charge for the suspect would be determined later.
He said there was a warrant out for the suspect for failure to appear in court for child support.
The Frederick County Sheriff's Office said Bello had warrants out from the sheriff's office, the Frederick Police Department and the Washington County Sheriffs Office for offenses including failure to pay child support and driving with a suspended license.
Jenkins said the Frederick County Sheriff's Office had contacted the Maryland attorney general's Independent Investigations Division, as required.
"They were advised, they made the determination they will not be investigating," Jenkins said, so the sheriff's office will handle the investigation.
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said to expect a law enforcement presence in the Kingsbrook area but there was no threat to the community.
Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.
