Maryland police officer shoots, kills man being served with gun grab order under new ‘red flag’ law

A man is dead after being shot by a Maryland police officer Monday morning.

Law enforcement was sent to the 60-year-old’s home to serve a new Extreme Risk Protection Order under the state’s “red flag” law, which allows authorities to confiscate weapons from citizens based on requests from others.

What are the details?

The Baltimore Sun reported that Cpl. Jessica Hooper and Officer Gary Zawodny were serving the order to remove guns from a home in Glen Burnie at about 5:17 a.m. Monday.  The subject of the request, Gary J. Willis, reportedly answered the door holding a gun, then placed the firearm next to the door, according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

A statement on the department’s Facebook page said that “when the officers began to serve Willis with the order, he became irate, opened the door to the residence and grabbed the gun.”

“An attempt was made by an officer to take the gun away from Willis when Willis fired the gun,” the statement continued. “A second officer fired their service weapon, striking Willis, who was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

Anne Arundel County Police spokesperson Sgt. Jacklyn David told WJZ-TV, “Under the law, family, police, mental health professionals can all ask for the protective order to remove weapons.”

WJZ reported that the county has received nine “red flag” calls since the law went into effect last month.

Anything else?

At a news conference in Annapolis on Oct. 1, proponents of Maryland’s “red flag” law hailed the legislation as a way to save lives, according to WTOP-TV.

Michael Solomon, a 16-year-old activist and co-president of Montgomery County Students for Change, told reporters, “I must say that watching these new regulations go into effect today is extremely inspiring.”

“We’re showing the world that we have not forgotten Parkland, we haven’t forgotten Great Mills and we haven’t forgotten Las Vegas,” he continued, referencing mass murders that have occurred in the United States over the past year or so.

Montgomery County Sheriff Darren Popkin said at the time that based on California’s “red flag” confiscations, he expects most requests for protective orders to be based on 9-1-1 calls during a crisis situation.