Crime & Safety

Police Officer Killed in Catonsville Shootout; Second Man Dies From Injuries

Police: Bullet was able to penetrate despite protective vest.

By Esther French and Bryan Sears
A Baltimore County police officer was fatally injured Wednesday morning in an exchange of gunfire while serving a warrant in a Catonsville home in connection with a nearby shooting earlier in the month. 
Officer Jason Schneider, 36, was transported to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he died from his injuries, police said.
The man suspected of shooting Schneider was also injured and transported to the shock trauma center, where he died Wednesday afternoon.
Police identified the man as Tevon Smith, 25.
Schneider was a 13-year veteran of the force, assigned to the tactical division since 2004, according to police.
Members of Schneider's family, including his wife, as well as members of his tactical unit, laid a wreath in Towson Wednesday afternoon at the Baltimore County Police Department's fallen officers memorial. More than 300 people attended the short ceremony, and Schneider's wife briefly spoke to thank them for their support.
The morning shootout occurred in a small space, approximately 12 feet by 12 feet, at a home on Roberts Avenue, Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson said. When police entered, a number of individuals in the room scattered. 
Police said Schneider was shot several times, but he was able to return fire and hit a suspect. Schneider's bullet-proof vest stopped several rounds, but one appeared to have traveled underneath his vest, striking him in the back, police said in a statement Wednesday night.
Several people in the house were taken into custody but have not yet been charged, Johnson said.
County sources familiar with the investigation say that Smith was not the Aug. 19 suspect in a shooting that took place on nearby Winters Lane. That person, a 16-year-old male, was not in the house, sources say. Whether Smith was somehow associated with the Aug. 19 shooting is under investigation.
"We're still piecing this together in terms of what happened," Johnson said. "There will be a comprehensive investigation."
Johnson said the following in a statement: "Jason was extraordinarily experienced. He was a leader within the unit. This is a terrible loss for Baltimore County. His noble work is greatly appreciated, and his bravery and role in the great human experience brought us here today. Low crime rates mean nothing today...all that matters is that we lost a police officer."
Gov. Martin O'Malley ordered state flags to fly at half-staff to honor Schneider.

On Aug. 17, two men were injured in a shooting on Edmondson Avenue in Catonsville. On Aug. 21, a 16-year-old boy was shot in the arm in Woodlawn.


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