The Havre de Grace man killed by a Harford County Sheriff’s Office deputy at the conclusion of an hours-long standoff Saturday was shot when he brandished a black plastic object he had fashioned into a gun-like shape, police said, but had no actual firearm on his person.
Austin F. Jones, 34, of Havre de Grace was shot and killed by a member of the agency’s Special Response Team following a standoff which began at approximately 4:20 p.m. Saturday when Havre de Grace police responded to the 700 block of Erie Street for reports of a fight in progress. City officers determined Jones was “possibly armed and holding someone against their will,” according to a Sheriff’s Office release Sunday, and called for the agency’s Crisis Negotiation Team and Special Response Team.
According to that release, “preliminary investigation revealed that Mr. Jones had barricaded himself in a room of the apartment and was armed with a firearm.” According to Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Cristie Kahler, deputies were informed by Havre de Grace police that there was reason to believe Jones was armed. Members of the Crisis Negotiation Team secured the release of Jones’ hostage by 7 p.m. that evening and were negotiating for his surrender, with SRT “prepared to make entry.” Kahler said the Special Response Team provides security at the scene of barricade situations and was in an overwatch-type deployment while remaining “prepared” to enter the building if required; she said there was no indication that the team was in the process of actually breaching the residence at the time of the shooting.
As negotiations continued, Kahler said that Jones made an overt gesture with what she identified Tuesday as “a black plastic object which Mr. Jones had fashioned into the shape of a handgun.” Kalher said there was “no indication” what the object was originally but that Jones had “manipulated it to resemble a gun,” and appeared to intend for it to look like a handgun. She declined to release photos of the object. Following the shooting, investigators determined that Jones did not have a real firearm on his person.
Kahler also declined to identify the deputy who shot Jones, citing his assignment to a specialized tactical unit and concerns “for the safety of the deputy, the safety of his family, and the protection of any future operations in which he may be involved.” However, she said the SRT member had previously been an officer in Baltimore County, received a lateral transfer to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office five years ago, and joined the SRT two years ago.
Following an August incident in which a 19-year-old Bel Air man was shot and killed by a Sheriff’s Office deputy outside a Rock Spring snowball stand, the agency identified the deputy involved once the officer had been interviewed by investigators.
This is becoming bizarre. The Sheriff’s Department says the suspect had a black plastic object that he had “manipulated it to look like a gun” but they wont release any photos of this object. Really?
There is something wrong here.
Jesse Bane scandals and cover ups. Deputies sleeping on the job and then receiving union leadership and direction over deputies dues. Political promotions of undeserving and political demotions of deserving. MARK FORWOOD. Suspicious cover ups of late night deputy car accident death. Inordinate amount of inmate deaths leading to legal expenses. Dereliction of duty. How’s that for starters Monster?
Combine that with the Havre de Grace PD. Several officers have been fired for misconduct in the last 2 years. One accused of breaking and entering. Another writing bad checks. Multiple ones with sexual harassment allegations and protective orders against them from citizens. Its all swept under the rug. All of this makes for a supreme sized bag of dog shit.
Amazing how many of Banes minions providing negative feedback. Jesse Bane is one vindictive little man.
Monster. Now you know what you already know.
You idiots please go down to the Baltimore County Police Officer Jason Schneider’s family(age 36)(EOW 8-28-13). Please explain to his family why on a tactical entry he left two kids and a wife , that assumed he would be coming home too behind. Need not explain to you, law enforcement positions are available so if you want to $itch then apply. I don’t need say anymore, but it makes me sick that you want to challenge everything. Its sad
Unfortunately that officer was shot by a southern Canadian animal that was armed. I’m all for their incarceration and termination.
Jesse Bane’s new motto for HCSD “shot first then ask questions!” so everyone please be careful out there especially at the WaWa’s where you’re most likely to find them.
This suspect made it clear to negotiators from the start that the incident was going to end with suicide by cop and he got what he wanted. He’s a coward for putting the deputy in that situation and making him do what he was too afraid to do himself. As for not releasing photo’s of the object, who the hell are you? and what makes you so important that you are entitled to see evidence of a case that is still open? Stop with the conspiracy theories and this holier then thow mentality thinking you deserve to have every shred of information about the incident. Just be happy the police did what they were supposed to do and go about your life without fear of that particular POS being on the street any longer.
Need more Ammo?
Point anything resembling a gun at a police officer…………….. you’ll get removed via m.e. wagon.
End of discussion.
I was friends with Austin for a long time and for the cop killed sorry to his family but Austin made some bad choices but it was a fucking pen not a gun he didn’t deserve to lose his life just another case of police power gone wrong and Austin is dead bc of it RIP Austin forever I love you
Might want to google the Stinger Pen Gun.
If a cop tells you to drop whatever is in your hands, you should listen to him.
Well, if he hadn’t violated a protective order, taken someone hostage, refused to come out peacefully, made statements to the effect of wanting the police to kill him, and then proceeded to deliberately hold something in his hand and make gestures like he had a gun and was about to shoot someone then he’d still be alive.
And as Kharn said, there are plenty of specialty firearms you can easily buy that look like every day objects (including pens, cell phones, wallets, etc.) If you’re at all handy with tools it’s not hard to make zipguns, modify super soakers to hold sawed off shotguns, etc…you can find instructions on how to do it with a simple google search. Plus, there are designer companies out there that will custom make guns in any color including pink, blue, green, red, etc. You can easily find companies selling pink AK-47’s, pink Desert Eagles, etc. They look like toys, but are fully functional firearms.
I’m sorry the deputy had to shoot your friend, but maybe you should’ve done something to help him before he ever even came close to putting himself in that situation. It is not the deputy’s fault your friend is dead. It is your friend’s fault that he is dead.