Suspended Baltimore Co. Officer Takes Own Life During Standoff With Harford Co. Deputies

A Baltimore County police officer took his own life early Monday during a standoff with Harford County sheriff's deputies.

Deputies were called to James Ward's home in the 2000 block of Stratton Court in Bel Air at around 1:34 a.m. Monday. Deputies set up a perimeter, and negotiators from the sheriff's office Special Response Team and Crisis Negotiation Team tried to bring the encounter to a peaceful end, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.

After several hours without response, deputies made entry and found Ward on a lower floor dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. No deputies fired shots during the incident, and nobody else was injured. Deputies will conduct an investigation.

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