Jurors in David Linthicum trial watch video of two Baltimore County officers shot dead on duty

BALTIMORE — Jurors in a high-profile trial saw disturbing body-camera video showing the moments last year when two Baltimore County police officers were shot and killed in separate incidents days apart.

The defendant, David Linthicum, is fights attempted murder charges This could send him to prison for the rest of his life.

Linthicum’s defense argued that police were overly aggressive and failed in their response to the defendant’s mental health crisis.

The jurors were asked to return to court at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday for more testimonies.

Moving testimony from the father

John Linthicum made no comment to WJZ investigator Mike Hellgren outside court after breaking down in tears earlier on the witness stand, testifying about the February 2023 incident that tore his family apart.

At the start of David Linthicum’s trial, jurors learned how it all began. Linthicum’s father called 911 and said, “I need the police. I have a son who is having suicidal thoughts. He has a gun.”

Linthicum’s father testified that he called 911 “to get help, to de-escalate the situation, not to escalate it, not to make it worse.”

Jurors view video of shooting

The jury saw the chilling moment as Linthicum opened fire with an AR-15 rifle in the basement bedroom of his Cockeysville home.

In this video, Linthicum’s father walks into the room. The police are behind him in the hallway and he says, “You’re going to shoot me.”

His son fired 16 shots, forcing the officers to flee outside. Officer Barry Jordan was hit by three bullets.

Then Linthicum escaped.

The next day, Detective Jonathan Chih spotted Linthicum walking on Warren Road, turned on his lights and got out of his police truck.

Linthicum asked if he was “trying to kill him” before immediately opening fire with 14 shots. The officer yelled, “I’m hit. I’m hit.” As Linthicum fled in his truck, Chih fought for his life on the ground.

The AR-15 had 30 bullets. All were used between the two shootings.

“He used every bullet at his disposal to try to kill Detective Jonathan Chih,” prosecutor John Cox told the jury.

Defense blames police response

The defense blamed police for a failed response to a mental health emergency.

Public defender Deborah Katz Levi described her client as “a deeply sad and troubled person. He had an argument with his father that day. He wanted to die.”

She said he had suffered from mental health issues since he was 12.

“David was running, scared. He was shooting, scared,” Levi told jurors.

Levi told the jury that the initial response of the police officers “agitated the situation.”

“They made the situation worse, and they were wrong. Everyone must be held accountable,” she said in her opening remarks.

Police Memorial Cover

Levi filed a motion to cover up the police memorial outside the courthouse. The judge denied his motion.

Levi claimed the prosecutor and judge were biased in favor of the police and that Linthicum could not receive a fair trial. She asked the judge to recuse himself before opening statements, but he decided to stay on the case.

Transparency issues

The Public Defender’s Office has expressed concerns about certain procedures, including questions asked of individual jurors during the selection process and motion hearings held in secret, out of view of the public and the media.

They made the following statement to WJZ:

“The Sixth Amendment provides those accused of a crime with the right to a public trial. Denying the public access to court proceedings violates this constitutional mandate, which is subject to limited exceptions. Public access to the trial ensures the integrity of the criminal justice system and is important to everyone: the accused, the victims, the family members of both parties, and all others interested in the operation of the justice system. Justice must be fair and transparent.”

Police officer testifies to being shot

Officer Barry Jordan, the first to be shot, was the last witness Tuesday.

The 28-year veteran of the Baltimore County Police Department testified about the time he was injured.

“The wall started to collapse in front of me,” Officer Jordan told the jury.

He said he and his partner immediately left the basement. “We didn’t have time to do anything else,” Jordan testified.

At first he wasn’t sure if he was injured.

The jurors were able to see his uniform, which was stained with blood and had holes in it from the incident. The defense

It was questioned whether it was a bullet or shrapnel from the wall of the house or the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system that entered his body.

Linthicum’s former girlfriend, Amanda Darby, also testified. She told the jury there were usually three guns in Linthicum’s bedroom. Prosecutors questioned her about her views on the police.

“He said he didn’t like them. He hated the police,” she testified.

The defense objected to this line of questioning.