A Howard County sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed early Friday morning after an altercation at a bar in Baltimore’s Federal Hill neighborhood, and a city councilman said police have arrested a suspect.
Baltimore Police said officers responded shortly after midnight to the 1100 block of South Charles Street to investigate a shooting and found a 23-year-old man, later identified as off-duty sheriff’s deputy Ryan Demby, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Medics took him to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center where he was pronounced dead.
Police would not clarify the circumstances of the incident, but City Councilman Eric Costello said it began with a fight just inside Wayward Bar & Kitchen. Security removed the parties involved, but the altercation carried over into the front of Mother’s Federal Hill Grille, where Demby was shot multiple times.
A Baltimore Banner staffer who was across the street at the time of the shooting said he heard between four and five shots, sending bystanders fleeing toward nearby establishments.
The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.
An employee who answered the phone at Wayward hung up on a reporter.
Costello tweeted Friday night that police had made an arrest. Baltimore Police will hold a joint press conference with the Howard County Sheriff’s Office at noon Saturday to talk about the arrest of a suspect.
At the time of the shooting, a number of Orioles players were around the corner at a bar on East Cross Street celebrating the team clinching the AL East, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. The players stayed inside as police secured and cleared the scene on South Charles Street.
Demby was sworn in as a deputy in March of this year. A tweet from the sheriff’s office at the time said the deputy’s father, Sam Demby, also works for the department and participated in his son’s academy graduation. A picture shows the father pinning Demby’s badge onto his uniform during the ceremony.
“The Howard County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the shocking and tragic loss of an off-duty deputy who was shot and killed in Baltimore last night,” the Howard County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. “Our hearts are broken for the Demby family, Ryan’s friends and colleagues, and our entire sheriff’s office family. We will continue to keep our community updated and are grateful for your support during this difficult time.”
The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Gov. Wes Moore released a statement saying his office has been in close contact with the Howard County Sheriff’s Office and that he had personally spoken with Sheriff Marcus Harris.
“In raising his hand to serve as sheriff’s deputy, he made the courageous choice to protect our communities - and should still be with us today,” Moore said.
The Howard County Police Department called Demby’s killing a “senseless act of violence” in a social media post and said officers’ thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Baltimore Banner reporter Lillian Reed contributed to this story.
hugo.kugiya@thebaltimorebanner.com
The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Comments
Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines.