A sheriff’s deputy in Wicomico County, Maryland, passed away Sunday night after he was gunned down when he tried to arrest a fugitive in Pittsville, authorities confirmed early morning Sunday.
Forty-one-year-old Deputy First Class Glenn Hilliard was near an apartment complex Sunday when he noticed a suspect with warrants in several jurisdictions emerge from the residential building, according to the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office.
Upon noticing the fugitive, the law enforcement veteran of 16 years ran after him. Hilliard received fatal gunshot wounds as he tried to apprehend the suspect, CNN reported.
Following Hilliard’s death, multiple police officers carried out a search across the region, successfully capturing the suspect, who has been apprehended and is currently waiting for his arraignment.
“As an organization, we are heartbroken over this senseless and tragic murder,” the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office said in a Monday news release shared via the sheriff’s office Facebook page.
“This loss exacts an enormous emotional toll on the Sheriff’s Office family, but we will do what is necessary and proper to honor Glenn and support those who knew and loved him,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
Hilliard leaves behind a wife and three children, the sheriff’s office said. The deputy became the 25th law enforcement officer in the country to die this year by gunfire in the line of duty, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Hilliard had served in the Berlin Police Department for ten years before joining the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, where he served for six years, according to his biography on the Officer Down Memorial Page.
“Brave men and women like Glenn Hilliard put their lives in danger every day to protect our families, and I am extremely grateful to them for keeping our communities safe,” the sheriff’s office said.
The Maryland State Police will undertake a homicide investigation into Hilliard’s death, Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said, according to CNN.