UPDATE: Maryland State Trooper shot during traffic stop in Wicomico Co.

VIENNA, Md. – Maryland State Police (MSP) are investigating after a trooper was shot while conducting a traffic stop Monday night. The trooper, who is an 18-and-a-half-year veteran of MSP, is not being identified at this time. He treated for his injuries at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, and has been released from the hospital and placed on administrative leave, as is procedure.

Traffic Stop, Shooting in Vienna

“Shortly before 10 p.m., one of our troopers from the Easton Barrack was attempting to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle that was driving in excess of 100 miles per hour on eastbound Route 50, near the Vienna scale house,” said MSP spokesperson Elena Russo.

The trooper pulled the Toyota Prius over, and approached the passenger side of the vehicle to make contact with the driver, says MSP.

“The driver brandished a firearm, and immediately fired at the trooper, striking him several times. The trooper, in fear of his life, returned fire. Fortunately, none of the occupants in that vehicle were struck,” said Russo. “Thank goodness he was wearing his ballistic vest, because our medical providers believe that that saved his life after being shot multiple times at very close distance.”

Crash in Delmar

The driver then fled the scene on eastbound Route 50. “Shortly after he fled the traffic stop, the two occupants, we believe, bailed out of the vehicle. The driver continued for about another 15 miles or so, where officers from the Delmar Police Department were actually sort of waiting for him,” said Russo.

Officers from the Delmar Police Department located the suspect vehicle in the area of eastbound Route 54 and Providence Church Road, says Russo.

Officers followed the vehicle to the 600 block of Elizabeth Street, which is a dead-end residential street in Delmar. According to police, the driver, later identified as 23-year-old Keiford Lee Copper III of Trappe, Maryland, attempted to turn the vehicle. In trying to do so, police say Copper hit the curb, crashed into two vehicles, and came to a rest after hitting a tree.

Police surrounded the vehicle and observed Copper alone inside, slumped over the wheel. Copper took his own life with a single gunshot, say police. MSP says no shots were fired by law enforcement at the scene of the crash.

Occupants Apprehended

Shortly before 12:30 a.m., a 911 call reported two unidentified men, wearing hooded sweatshirts, walking around a neighborhood in Hebron. MSP Salisbury Barrack troopers responded, and found the men walking on Porter Mill Road towards Route 50. The two men were taken into custody, and are not being identified at this time.

Russo says neither men were charged, and both have since been released. MSP has not revealed how the two were identified and connected to the initial traffic stop. No details have been confirmed, either, on how the two subjects were kept in the area before police arrived.

Already on Edge

Residents of the quiet, residential street in Delmar where the police pursuit ended say they are already on edge following a trying, and tragic 23 months of other nearby, violent incidents.

In April 2021, Delmar Police Corporal Keith Heacook was killed in the line of duty. Then, in June 2022, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Corporal Glenn Hilliard was fatally shot while serving an arrest warrant in Pittsville. And, on Halloween 2022, downtown Delmar residents watched a barricaded suspect situation play out before them.

Monday night’s incident did not help to put their anxiety at ease, say residents.

“We were up until after midnight, trying to figure out what was going on. Everybody had their doors locked, and their porch lights on,” said Alice, who lives just blocks from the scene. “In this day and age, our community is very close, and we do look out for each other. But, it’s scary to see this happening right down the street.”

Barbara Lafferty lives just a few doors down from the scene. She says she and her husband were in bed when they realized a scary situation was unfolding just outside their door.

“We could see the blue and red flashing lights through the window. We were like ‘Oh my gosh,'” said Lafferty. “When we went outside to look, there was a huge police presence all the way from the end of East Elizabeth Street past 6th Street. I’ve never seen so many police. We knew that there was something that was not a normal circumstance by any means. We were very concerned.”

Lafferty says she’s grateful for law enforcement’s work to keep residents safe, and the trooper’s survival. However, Lafferty says she wants to see changes made sooner than later.

“I’m infuriated. Absolutely infuriated. The prosecution needs to be give the proper tools to keep these people behind bars. Stop letting them out. Stop,” said Lafferty. “They need to not be empathetic towards repeat offenders. They need to be empathetic to rest of us who have to deal with what these repeat offenders are going to do when they get out.”