Frederick police officers released from hospital, shot after responding to armed man call
FREDERICK, Md. (7News) — Two Frederick police officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries Friday afternoon after they were shot, according to police and hospital officials. The officers were discharged from Shock Trauma in Baltimore, Maryland just after 6 p.m.
Frederick Police Chief Jason Lando identified the officers as Bryan Snyder, 43, who is in his second year of service and Kristen Kowalsky, 32, who is in her 9th year of service.
7News' Maryland Bureau Chief Brad Bell said Snyder was shot in the chest. He was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time.
The suspect involved is identified as Dominique Lamarr Lewis, 25, of Hampton, Va. He was transported to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center where he is being treated for his injuries and remains under police guard.
READ MORE: Father of Frederick police shooting suspect says son has history of mental illness
He is charged with two counts of attempted first and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
TIMELINE OF THE SHOOTING
Officers responded to a call around 12:43 p.m. for a suspicious man at the intersection of Waverley Drive and Key Parkway. According to the initial call, police believe the man had a firearm on him.
Police say that upon their arrival, the officers observed Lewis sitting on an electrical box with a gun. The preliminary investigation indicates the officers approached Lewis and asked him to show his hands. Police say Lewis avoided contact with the officers and ignored their requests.
Moments later, police say Lewis began to walk away from the officers, and abruptly turned around and fired multiple rounds at the officers using a .45 caliber handgun. Subsequently, the two officers returned fire using their department issued Glock pistols. The two Frederick City police officers were injured and Lewis was incapacitated.
Frederick Police Chief Jason Lando said both police officers and the suspect were shot. All three were transported to Shock Trauma in Baltimore by Maryland State Police.
Dr. Thomas Scalea, Shock Trauma Physician in Chief, said the suspect has undergone surgery after he was shot in the torso. He's expected to survive.
But he added that there have been too many shootings. The hospital admitted five people before 2 p.m. Friday for shooting-related wounds.
"That's nuts," Scalea said, "that there is so much violence not only in this city (Baltimore) but in the state."
"This is out of control," he continued. "And so demoralizing to do this day after day."
WHAT EYEWITNESSES SAW
The shooting happened at an intersection near the Frederick Towne Mall and several apartment complexes -- where plenty of people were around.
Eyewitnesses said there was some sort of gunfire exchange one man telling 7News he heard 10-15 shots. After that he heard the sirens and said "hundreds" of cops came to the scene.
"It is bad, cause right there -- where everything happened, is right where the kids get off the bus from school, he told 7News.
Seven schools in the area were placed on lockdown just after the shooting occurred: Frederick High, West Frederick Middle, Waverley ES, Butterfly Ridge ES, Hillcrest ES, Lincoln ES, Parkway ES, and SUCCESS Program. The lockdown was later lifted.
A woman, whose niece attends a school nearby, said she was praying for everyone involved. She called the shooting "scary" and "unfortunate."
Another man also told 7News he heard about 10-15 shots and ran over to the scene.
"I saw a guy laying on the ground and a female cop holding her arm," the man told 7News.
WHAT'S NEXT IN THE INVESTIGATION
Chief Lando said the officers were wearing body cameras at the time, but the video has not been reviewed.
While Maryland's Office of the Attorney General was expected to lead the investigation, because they now investigate all police-involved shootings in the state, since the suspect is expected to survive they won't be the lead agency for the investigation. The Frederick City Police will now investigate the shooting.
Gov. Larry Hogan issued a statement on Twitter following the shooting.
"We continue to closely monitor the situation surrounding the shooting in Frederick earlier this afternoon. Two Frederick police officers are at Shock Trauma, and I ask Marylanders to keep them and their families in your thoughts," Hogan tweeted. "I want to thank all of the officers who acted swiftly, including state troopers from the Frederick Barrack who assisted in the initial response, and the members of our Aviation Command who transported the injured officers. Our investigators remain on the scene."
As of the end of January, 24 police officers were shot. Three of those officers died. In 2021, 73 police officers were killed intentionally in the line of duty, according to FBI data.
