Baltimore County, MD - Police in Baltimore County said one of their officers fatally shot an unarmed 19-year-old Washington man as he tried ...
Baltimore County, MD - Police in Baltimore County said one of their officers fatally shot an unarmed 19-year-old Washington man as he tried to illegally get a prescription for a narcotic cough syrup. On Friday, authorities identified the man as Keith Harrison McLeod. Police said his last known address was in the 1200 block of Faraday Place in Northeast Washington. The incident happened just before 5 p.m. Wednesday when McLeod went into a Nature Care pharmacy in Reisterstown and showed the pharmacy a forged prescription for Promethazine plus Codeine. The drug is a narcotic cough syrup and is often mixed with alcohol for a high, police said. The pharmacist called police, and an officer responded. When the officer got there, he found McLeod in the parking lot outside the pharmacy. McLeod, police said, led the officer on a foot chase in the area. In a statement, police said “a confrontation occurred” between the officer and McLeod. Surveillance video from nearby businesses shows McLeod “aggressively advancing on a single officer, who retreats with his gun drawn,” police said. The footage, police said, shows McLeod “reaching around to the small of his back and abruptly whipping his hand around and pointing it toward the officer, as if with a weapon.” The officer fired his weapon as McLeod “swiftly brings his hand forward from his waistband,” police said in a statement. Once on the ground, police said, McLeod did not comply and kept “reaching into his waistband, as if for a weapon.” No weapon was found, according to police. Witnesses told police that they heard the officer repeatedly tell McLeod to “stop.” They also said they heard McLeod yell profanities at the officer. McLeod was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. A state medical examiner confirmed that he was shot three times, according to a police statement. Police also confirmed that three shots were fired. Authorities said the officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure. The officer’s name has not been released. He was not injured in the incident. Less
