A man is dead after a traffic stop in Bel Air on Saturday night turned into a fatal police encounter.
Bel Air Police said an officer conducting a traffic stop on the 300 block of Franklin Street just before 9 p.m. Saturday ended up getting into a “physical altercation” during the stop, leading them to fire their gun and shoot the man.
A preliminary investigation by the State Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division determined that during the traffic stop the officer fired his service weapon and struck the driver. Officers rendered aid until emergency medical services arrived.
The driver, who has not yet been identified, was flown to the Shock Trauma Center where they were pronounced deceased. The officer involved in the shooting was also taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for injuries before being released.
It’s unclear why the officer conducted the stop and how the interaction became physical.
Bel Air police did not immediately respond to The Banner’s inquiry.
This story has been updated.



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