Dundalk man, shot by police, charged with assault

Baltimore County police announced one charge against a Dundalk man who was shot by an officer Thursday in Rosedale.

Michael Fink, 36, from the 7200 block of Holabird Avenue, has been charged with second degree assault, according to police on Friday. He is currently in Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in stable condition.

Officers were dispatched just before 2 p.m. Thursday to Philadelphia Road and Spring Avenue after a 911 caller saw Fink in the middle of the road waving “a long, silver chain,” said Sgt. Vickie Warehime, a Baltimore County Police spokeswoman. The caller reported that Fink also had a knife.

When an officer arrived at the scene, police said, he exited his patrol car and ordered Fink to sit. However, Fink ignored the commands, police said, and started running at the officer.

The officer ordered Fink to stop, but Fink continued toward the officer, forcing him to move backward. The officer then fired his weapon into Fink’s upper body, police said.

After Fink was shot, police said he ran down the block and collapsed near a shopping center. No officers were injured.

On Friday, the officer who shot Fink was identified as Police Officer First Class B. Brown. Police said Brown has served in the police department’s operations bureau for 2 years and 2 months. Brown is currently on administrative leave per policy. Baltimore County typically does not release the first names of officers who shoot someone, citing an agreement with the police union.

The department also announced Friday that officers recovered two knives, a silver chain and a can of pepper spray from the scene. Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger declined to discuss the assault charge against Fink.

The department’s preliminary investigation revealed Fink was initially dropped off at a hospital for a mental health evaluation but never went inside and instead boarded a bus and got off in Rosedale.

The police never said how many shots were fired, but residents and business employees in the area Friday said they heard a single gunshot Thursday afternoon.

Baltimore County police are investigating Fink’s actions as well as Brown’s actions in a separate, internal investigation.