CALVERT COUNTY, Md. — A Calvert County sheriff's deputy was shot and in critical condition following an attempted traffic stop that led to a vehicle chase and exchange of gunfire Saturday evening, the sheriff's office said.
The sheriff's office said Senior Deputy James Flynt's condition has since stabilized, though he is expected to remain in the ICU for an extended period.
The gunfire happened when deputies tried to stop a vehicle around 9:30 p.m. on Yellow Bank Road in Dunkirk, Maryland.
The driver sped away quickly, leading deputies on a chase down southbound on Route 4, a press release stated. The driver of the fleeing vehicle opened fire at pursuing deputies and shot at a patrol vehicle, officials said. In Huntington, the deputies used a precision immobilization technique, or PIT, maneuver to end the pursuit.
The occupants of the car ran, and the driver fired additional shots, hitting Flynt, officials said. The deputies fired back and the suspect fled into a nearby development, according to the sheriff's office.
Detectives with the Criminal Investigations Bureau later identified the suspect as 21-year-old Brandon Alexander Turner of Greenbelt, Maryland.
The passenger from the stopped car was taken into custody. Deputies found Turner near the entrance to the neighborhood and was apprehended, according to a news release. Turner was also shot and suffered injuries not considered life-threatening, the sheriff's office said.
The wounded deputy, Flynt, and Turner were taken to a trauma center for treatment, the statement said. Flynt is a five-year veteran of the Calvert County Sheriff's Office who served several years prior at the Calvert County Detention Center as a Correctional Deputy, a press release stated.
Turner was in stable condition. He is facing multiple charges including attempted first-degree murder, assault first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and assault second-degree of a law enforcement officer.
Deputy T. Bowen and Deputy A. Aranda involved in the exchange of gunfire have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with procedures for such incidents, the sheriff's office said.
The investigation remains ongoing.
A GoFundMe page was launched to support the injured officer and his family during his recovery.