Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Joseph Robert Henry Thompson
Age : 66
Gender : Male
Race : Black
Date : 06/04/2022
Location : 500 block of Virginia Ave
City : Towson
County : Baltimore
State : Maryland
Agency : Baltimore County Police Department
Officer(s) :Scott Johnson,Cody Klapka, Robert Fitzgerald
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during investigation
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
At approximately 8:40 p.m. on June 4, 2022, Baltimore County officers responded to an "unknown trouble" call at an apartment building in the 500 block of Virginia Avenue in Towson.
Upon arriving, officers reported hearing gunshots coming from inside the building. Officers entered and went to the eleventh floor after information from the caller indicated where the disturbance was occurring.
Officers located the apartment and knocked on the door. Joseph Robert Henry Thompson, 66, opened the door while holding a handgun.
According to body camera footage and the state investigation, Thompson quickly stepped backward and opened fire almost immediately after opening the door.
One officer was struck in the hand by gunfire. His injury was not life threatening and he was released from the hospital the following day.
Officers Johnson, Klapka, and Fitzgerald opened fire, striking Thompson multiple times. He died inside the apartment.
Officers discovered an adult woman inside the apartment suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators concluded she had been shot by Thompson before police arrived.
She was transported to a hospital in critical condition and later survived her injuries.
Body camera release:
Maryland released body worn camera footage on June 30, 2022. The video shows officers approaching the apartment, knocking, Thompson opening the door with a handgun, and gunfire erupting almost immediately.
