Daily Voice
By Zak Failla From Daily Voice
New details have been released after a 34-year-old woman was shot by sheriff's deputies after pointing a gun during a welfare check in Southern Maryland, officials say.
Deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office were called shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 to a Lexington Park home after a man told authorities that his roommate left the home armed with his gun.
For more than an hour, deputies canvassed the area before locating 34-year-old Paige Taylor Hartness around 9:11 p.m. sitting in a vehicle parked at MedStar Health on East Run Drive.
MedStar Health, 45870 East Run Drive in Lexington Park
When deputies arrived, investigators say that they attempted to communicate with Hartness for several minutes before she got out of the car and attempted to flee across the parking lot.
Minutes later, officers confronted the woman again and she pointed a gun at them. Two officers fired their weapons and struck her.
They were identified by the sheriff's office on Monday, Oct. 27 as Cpl. Tyler Payne, a near 10-month veteran of the department, and Deputy Ian Flaherty, who has one year and eight months with the agency.
They rendered aid until emergency medical personnel arrived.
Hartness was airlifted by MedStar Aviation Transport to a local hospital, where she remains in stable condition on Monday.
No other injuries were reported. A semiautomatic handgun was recovered at the scene.
Under Maryland law, the Independent Investigations Division of the Office of the Attorney General was notified and responded.
After assessing the situation and receiving medical updates, the division declined to assume the investigation.
Per agency policy, both involved deputies have been placed on administrative leave while the incident is reviewed by the Office of Professional Responsibilities and the Criminal Investigations Division.
The incident remains under investigation.
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