Man dies after being shot by Balto. Co. police officer

A Northeast Baltimore man has died after being shot by a Baltimore County police officer who was struck by the man’s SUV while working security at a Parkville strip mall.

The officer was working in his police uniform as a security guard for the Parkway Crossing shopping center in the 2300 block of Cleanleigh Drive, Baltimore County police spokesman Shawn Vinson said.

He was wrapping up his shift when he went into the center’s parking lot around 8:30 p.m. Monday, after another guard saw a black 2011 Chevrolet Suburban driving erratically near the mall’s ShopRite grocery store. The officer stopped the driver, 28-year-old Derrick Alexander Sellman, near the grocery store’s entrance and the driver opened the door, Vinson said.

“At some point the driver accelerated the SUV,” either dragging the officer or hitting him, Vinson said.

The SUV was then hit by a white 2016 Toyota Avalon, pinning the officer between that car’s door and the SUV. The officer shot at the SUV driver with his service weapon, striking him at least once in his upper body, Vinson said.

The SUV then crashed into another car in the parking lot before coming to rest nearby.

Sellman, of the 2300 block of Walshire Ave. in Northeast Baltimore, died at Sinai Hospital, Vinson said.

The officer, who police have not identified, was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center and released Tuesday morning.

Family gathered at Sellman’s home near the city-county line, where cars were parked two deep on the curb of the small cul-de-sac Tuesday afternoon. A relative who answered the door declined to comment.

Neighbors said Sellman was a “good kid,” and they were surprised and sad- dened to hear of his shooting.

“I’ve never known him to be involved in anything unsavory,” said James Tucker, 73.

Tucker has lived next to Sellman’s family for 30 years, he said. He said he didn’t know Sellman well, but recalled exchanging pleasantries with him on the street.

Stephany Stottlemire, 31, has lived two doors down from Sellman’s family for three years. She said he was living with and caring for his grandparents.

“He was a bubbly, happy young kid, always very pleasant to deal with,” she said. “I can’t understand how it happened so quickly without explanation.”

Because the officer was working secondary employment at the time of the incident, he was not wearing a body camera.

Baltimore County police officers are not required to wear body cameras while working other security jobs, though they can choose to wear body cameras if they are engaged in authorized work wearing Baltimore County police uniforms.