Police in Calvert County, Maryland, have released the names of the suspect and sheriff’s deputy who were both wounded after a high-speed pursuit turned into a shootout in Huntingtown on Saturday night.
In a news release, the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office identified Brandon Alexander Turner, 21, a resident of Greenbelt, as a suspect in the officer-involved shooting that took place on Walnut Creek Road.
The wounded officer in the exchange has been identified as Senior Deputy James Flynt. Police said Flynt remained in critical condition on Sunday, while the suspect was reported to be in stable condition after the exchange.
According to department, Flynt is a 5-year veteran of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office who has also served at the Calvert County Detention Center as a correctional deputy.
Police said Turner may face charges including attempted first-degree murder, assault in the first degree, attempted second-degree murder and assault in the second degree of a law enforcement officer.
Deputies said they conducted a traffic stop in the area of Yellow Bank Road in Dunkirk around 9:30 p.m. Saturday. The vehicle then fled from deputies at high speed moving southbound on Route 4.
The driver of the fleeing vehicle opened fire at pursuing deputies, according to a news release, and one patrol vehicle was shot. In Huntingtown, the deputies used a precision immobilization technique maneuver to end the pursuit by forcing the suspect’s vehicle to abruptly turn 180 degrees and come to a stop.
As the people inside of the vehicle fled on foot, the driver fired additional rounds and struck one deputy.
The deputies shot back, and the suspect fled into a nearby development in the Walnut Creek subdivision. The vehicle’s passenger was immediately taken into custody.
Shortly after, deputies apprehended the vehicle’s driver, who had also been shot, suffering non-life-threatening injuries. The driver remains in stable condition.
An additional two deputies involved in the gunfire exchange, Deputy T. Bowen and Deputy A. Aranda, were placed on administrative leave, in accordance with agency policy. The Calvert County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident.
Calvert County Sheriff-elect Ricky Cox said the events Saturday night brought him “a call no Sheriff ever wants to receive.”
“The deputy that was injured literally put his life on the line,” Cox said. “He did not go to work yesterday knowing his life would be changed forever. But, as he has done every day of his career, he suited up knowing it was a possibility.”
