[March 3, 2016, Bel Air, MD] The Harford County Sheriff’s Office has identified the individual involved in Wednesday’s deputy involved shooting as Travis Boyd Bradley, 36, of Bel Air.
On March 2, 2016, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Patrol Deputies assigned to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Southern Precinct were dispatched to the 300 block of Althea Court to assist a potentially armed suicidal subject, reportedly suffering from PTSD, who had been drinking heavily. Upon arrival, deputies attempted to initiate contact with Bradley by personal contact and phone. After 30 minutes of deputies attempting to engage him in conversation, he exited the rear of the residence and fired two rounds from a rifle, causing deputies to seek cover. Bradley then retreated back inside the residence. No one was injured at that time.
After the initial gunfire, Patrol Deputies established a perimeter and moved to safeguard nearby residents. Residents in the area were advised to shelter in place. Deputies assigned to the Special Response Team (SRT) were requested to the scene and assumed command of the incident. Members of SRT, with assistance from the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) continued the attempts to engage in negotiations with Bradley to bring the incident to a peaceful end.
Throughout negotiation attempts, Bradley made several comments to deputies, and other individuals, that he intended on shooting his way out of the residence.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., after extensive attempts at negotiation, and repeated attempts to convince Bradley to peacefully surrender, he exited the residence in the direction of deputies while making motions that led deputies to believe he was armed. His actions caused three Harford County Sheriff’s Office Deputies to fear for their personal safety and that of the surrounding community leading deputies to fire their weapons, mortally wounding him. No deputies or uninvolved civilians were injured during the incident.
Keeping with past practice and procedure, the deputies involved in the shooting are not being identified, as they were part of a tactical operation. They are 13, 14, and 15-year veterans of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, all assigned to the Special Response Team as a secondary assignment.
Following the shooting, members of the Office of the State Fire Marshall conducted a thorough search of the residence to ensure no improvised incendiary or explosive devices were within the residence or surrounding area.
Investigators and Forensic Service Unit Detectives from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division are conducting a comprehensive investigation into the incident. During the initial investigation, it was discovered that Bradley had no weapons on his person at the time of the shooting; however, several firearms were discovered within the residence, placed in strategic locations with additional ammunition. Upon completion, the investigation will be forwarded to the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for routine review.
The deputies involved have been placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.