Two Maryland sheriff's deputies will not be charged in the fatal shooting of a suspect in Frederick County in October, according to the state's attorney's office.
An investigation found the deputies had reason to believe the suspect was armed when they shot him following a high-speed chase, the Frederick County State's Attorney's Office said.
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About 2:30 p.m. Oct. 19, Pennsylvania State Police pursued a man wanted in connection to an attempted homicide into Frederick County and asked his deputies for assistance, according to the sheriff's office.
At one point during the high-speed chase, shots were fired from the suspect vehicle, disabling a Pennsylvania police car, according to the state's attorney. The officer was not injured.
Pennsylvania State Police troopers managed to spike the vehicle on Route 15 near the exit for Route 140 in Emmitsburg. The attempted murder suspect, David Robert Leatherman, and another man, and Bryan Paul Selmer, ran off, the sheriff's office said.
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Authorities apprehended Leatherman nearby but did not find a gun, the state's attorney said. All officers in the area were told the second suspect likely was in possession of the gun fired during the pursuit.
Deputies confronted Selmer at an Exxon gas station on Silo Hill Parkway, where he raised his arms in what appeared to be a "shooter's stance," according to the state's attorney.
Two deputies fired at Selmer, striking him once in the torso, according to the state's attorney. He was flown to Shock Trauma in Baltimore, where he died about an hour later.
He was not in possession of a gun, according to the state's attorney. A gun was found that evening about 10-15 feet in front of the suspects' vehicle.
The investigation found it was reasonable for the deputies to believe they were at risk when Selmer turned toward them and raised his arms, justifying their use of deadly force under Maryland laws of self-defense and defense of others, the state’s attorney said.
