A police trainee who was hurt on the job during a training drill exercise has filed a lawsuit against the City of Baltimore and Baltimore County. He was shot and suffered serious injuries. His condition was described as critical.
The lawsuit seeks several million in damages. The plaintiff is a trainee who was hired by the University of Maryland for a police position While undergoing training, he claims, he and others were ordered to go inside an abandoned building and stand behind a window. They were then targeted by other police firing their guns. One instructor is accused of having acted negligently or intentionally in shooting the plaintiff.
That instructor is currently facing criminal charges of reckless endangerment and second-degree assault for shooting and wounding the trainee. Injuries suffered by the training included the total loss of one of his eyes and other permanent impairments. The lawsuit also names the major in charge of the training academy as a defendant, as well as another instructor there and the Police Commissioner.
The lawsuit says there was a pattern and practice of allowing such training exercises to be held, and they were occurred regularly. Changes were evidently adopted in the shooting training procedures after the incident.
The training exercise was held at an abandoned facility located in Owings Mill. The building was filled with rusty fixtures, trash, metal, a variety of debris and abandoned appliances. The plaintiff argues these surroundings put trainees at risk of injury. He also believes that it was an unsafe and uncontrolled environment in which to hold a live fire exercise. The training officer should have been carrying a social training gun instead of his loaded service revolver. Individuals injured during training programs may have a claim against their employer or those in charge of the training, and should consult with an experienced personal injury attorney as soon after the incident as possible.