Update: Officer-involved shooting claims the life of 16-year-old pointing an airsoft gun
(Updated April 14) On April 13, a Maryland State Trooper was involved in a fatal officer involved shooting that occurred Tuesday afternoon in St. Mary’s County where a 16-year-old died. The deceased was identified as Peyton Ham, 16, of Leonardtown, Maryland.
The as-of-yet still unidentified Trooper involved is a uniformed patrol trooper assigned to the Leonardtown Barrack. He has been a Maryland state trooper for two years and seven months. Maryland State Police spokesperson Greg Shipley told The Baltimore Sun that both Ham and the Trooper involved in the shooting are both white.
According to the preliminary investigation, just before 1:30 p.m. yesterday, two separate 911 calls were received at the Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack. The first call was from a male who gave a phone number instead of an address. He reported to the dispatcher that there was a guy acting suspicious who he thinks has a gun. The dispatcher asked for his location, but the call was disconnected.
Two minutes later, a second 911 call was received from a male who gave a street address in the 23000-block of Hollywood Road, just down the street from the barrack. The caller said a guy was acting suspicious and he thinks he has a gun. He hangs up and does not give a name.
The preliminary investigation indicates that within minutes, a uniformed Maryland State Trooper arrived at the location and confronted a male in the driveway. The male, later identified as Peyton Ham, was armed with a gun and a knife. A witness told investigators they saw Ham in the driveway in what the witness described as a shooting stance, pointing a gun at the trooper.
The trooper fired at Ham, wounding him.
A second witness told investigators that after the trooper fired the first time, they saw the male pull out a knife and try to get up. The trooper ordered him to drop the knife, before he fired again.
At a press conference held Tuesday evening following the shootings, Supt. Col. Jerry Jones confirmed that Maryland State Police received two 911 calls regarding, “a suspiciously acting male who looked like he had a gun.”
Jones said another witness told state police that after being shot, the boy pulled out a knife and tried to get up. The trooper ordered Ham to drop the knife, Jones said, before he fired again.
The boy was transported to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital where he died, Jones said. ~ The Baltimore Sun
The trooper reported the shooting and called for EMS. Aid was rendered to Ham by troopers and sheriff’s deputies until EMS arrived. The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit went to the scene and began conducting a criminal investigation.
When Maryland State Police crime scene technicians responded to process the scene, a gun was recovered at the scene. The gun used by the 16-year-old was determined to be an airsoft gun that is a close representation of an actual handgun. Airsoft guns are replica toy guns used in airsoft sports.
A knife was also recovered at the scene. An autopsy of the deceased will be conducted at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore.
The trooper involved was not injured. Per agency protocol, he has been placed on administrative leave pending the ongoing investigation.
Upon completion of the criminal investigation, it will be presented to the St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for review. The St. Mary’s County deputy state’s attorney responded to the scene and has been briefed by investigators. In addition, the Maryland State Police Internal Affairs Division will be conducting an administrative investigation.
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April 14 Update: Maryland State Police Homicide Unit investigators reported continuing their investigation and released a photo of the knife and a stock photo of the gun recovered at the scene.
State Police investigators continued to interview individuals, locate additional witnesses and search for evidence. Anyone who witnessed the shooting yesterday or who has any information related to this investigation is urged to contact Maryland State Police at the Leonardtown Barrack at 301-475-8955.
Below is a picture of the knife found at the scene and a stock photo of the type of gun believed to have been pointed at the state trooper by the teenager when he confronted the trooper.
The investigation into this troubling shooting is still ongoing.
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
