(Image source from: Chicago.suntimes.com)
Baltimore County police have identified the police officer killed in the line of duty Monday, and released more details about the death of Police Officer First Class Amy Caprio, 29. She was responding to a suspicious vehicle call on Linwen Way in Perry Hall when she was hit by a group of burglary suspects' SUV and killed, but she fired a shot at the oncoming Jeep in the process. A Baltimore teen is being charged in her death, which Baltimore County officials confirmed is the first female line-of-duty death in the department's 144 years.
Dawnta Anthony Harris, 16, of the 1600 block of Vincent Court in Baltimore, is being charged as an adult with first-degree murder. They have three others-ages 15, 16 and 17-in custody. Police identified Caprio late Tuesday morning.
Baltimore County Police said Tuesday they have arrested three other teenage boys who are suspects in the death of Caprio. Detectives also confirmed that they believe the four teens were involved in burglaries in the area of Linwen Way, where the Caprio was fatally wounded.
Caprio's viewing will be at Schimunek Funeral Home, 9705 Belair Rd. in Perry Hall, WJZ reported. The funeral will be held Friday, May 25, at Mountain Christian Church, 1824 Mountain Rd. in Fallston.
Cpl. Shawn Vinson, a police spokesman, said that just before 2 p.m. Monday there was a call for a suspicious vehicle on Linwen Way with several people walking around and breaking into houses there, and Caprio responded. Caprio followed a black Jeep Wrangler to a cul-de-sac on Linwen Way, got out of her patrol vehicle and ordered the driver, identified later as Dawnta Harris, to get out of the Jeep. Harris began to exit the Jeep, then got back in and quickly accelerated, driving toward and striking Officer Caprio, police said.
Neighbors called 9-1-1 reporting that the officer had been struck by a vehicle and may have been shot. One neighbor, a paramedic, ran to Caprio's aid to begin life-saving efforts. She was taken to MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center with traumatic injuries and pronounced deceased at 2:50 p.m. Monday. The preliminary results from an autopsy show the cause and manner of death to be homicide by traumatic injuries incurred as a result of being struck by the suspect vehicle. No evidence of a gunshot wound was found, authorities said.
