Mackenzie brandished a handgun and pointed toward police, ignoring continued commands to drop the weapon. Police fired and wounded Mackenzie, disarming him of his weapon.
Two Maryland troopers shot; suspect killed when he alighted from barricade in a blaze of gunfire
LITTLE ORLEANS, MD – Maryland State Police report that a suspect shot two Maryland State Troopers from where he was barricaded in a home and later came out with guns blazing, firing at police when he was shot dead.
The Maryland State Police report that they continue to investigate the Jan. 26, 2018, barricade in Allegany County.
After firing multiple rounds at police and injuring two state troopers, William Charles Mackenzie, 66, of Little Orleans, was fatally wounded by police during an overnight barricade in Allegany County. EMS provided medical treatment to Mackenzie on the scene. He was transported to the WMHS, Western Maryland Health System, in Cumberland, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Both troopers were struck by gunfire originating from inside the home. Investigators believe Mackenzie was alone in the house and in his bedroom when he fired several rounds through a window toward police on the perimeter
Police say that the two troopers who were shot during the incident are not being identified at this time. They are members of the Special Tactical Assault Team Element, or STATE team. They were flown by Maryland State Police Medevac to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where they were treated for their injuries and later released.
Both troopers were struck by gunfire originating from inside the home. Investigators believe Mackenzie was alone in the house and in his bedroom when he fired several rounds through a window toward police on the perimeter. Police believe Mackenzie had multiple firearms in the home.
Shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, Maryland State Police at the Cumberland Barrack received a 9-1-1 call from Mackenzie’s wife, Linda Darlene Mackenzie, 65. The wife informed police that she and her husband had been in an argument when he threatened her with a gun at their home at 11301 High Germany Road.
She said a struggle ensued between the two of them and they fell to the ground. As they fell, the gun reportedly fired at least one round. The wife was able to escape the residence and run to a neighboring house approximately 200 yards away to call for help.
Police from Cumberland Barrack and allied police agencies arrived on scene to establish a perimeter. Police negotiators announced their presence and attempted to make contact with William Mackenzie. Police called his cell phone, but all calls were directed to voicemail.
Members of the STATE team used the loudspeaker on their armored vehicle, commanding Mackenzie to exit the home unarmed. Throughout the night, Mackenzie refused multiple police requests to surrender and repeatedly said he was not coming out.
Mackenzie exited the house which appeared to be on fire. Mackenzie brandished a handgun and pointed toward police, ignoring continued commands to drop the weapon. Police fired and wounded Mackenzie, disarming him of his weapon.
Shortly before 7:30 a.m., Mackenzie fired multiple shots from a bedroom window, striking two members of the STATE team who were near the perimeter. Police did not fire in return. Mackenzie continued to refuse directions to surrender.
According to the ongoing investigation, it was just after 8:30 a.m. and without warning, that Mackenzie exited the house which appeared to be on fire. Mackenzie brandished a handgun and pointed toward police, ignoring continued commands to drop the weapon. Police fired and wounded Mackenzie, disarming him of his weapon. Emergency medical treatment was immediately provided on the scene. Mackenzie was transported to the Washington County Regional Medical Center where he was later pronounced deceased.
The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit is conducting the investigation, as is the procedure in police-involved shootings. Investigators have determined a trooper from the Maryland State Police fired his agency issued firearm. He has been placed on administrative leave, as is procedure pending the outcome of the investigation. Upon completion, the investigation will be provided to the Allegany County State’s Attorney’s Office for review.
Fire personnel on the scene extinguished the fire, with assistance from troopers. The Office of the State Fire Marshal leads the investigation into the cause of the fire.
Assistance during this situation was provided by a number of public safety agencies. They included C3I, the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office, the Cumberland Police Department, the Little Orleans Volunteer Fire Department, and State Police from the Cumberland Barrack, Criminal Enforcement Division, and the Aviation Command.
Court records show that Linda MacKenzie was charged with theft under $100,000 and three counts of burglary in District Court for Baltimore City on July 27, 2015, and on Aug. 14, 2015, Baltimore City States Attorney Marilyn Mosby dropped the charges. The complainant in the case was William Charles MacKenzie.
Charles MacKenzie owned a property located at 1911 Fairbank Road, in Baltimore City, which was foreclosed by court order on March 24, 2017.
The Allegany County States Attorney let MacKenzie off easy when he was arrested and charged with drug dealing in Circuit Court. The charges were put on the Stet Docket on Aug. 28, 2014, with no fine and no time.
According to the Facebook page of William Charles MacKenzie, he was a systems engineer at AT&T Bell Labs and at Avaya Inc. MacKenzie posted that he served in the Marine Corps from 1969 to 1973.
- Mackenzie brandished a handgun and pointed toward police, ignoring continued commands to drop the weapon. Police fired and wounded Mackenzie, disarming him of his weapon.
