By Chrisleen Herard,
Special to the AFRO
Ryan Demby, a Howard County sheriff’s deputy, was off-duty when he was shot and killed inside a Baltimore bar on Sept. 29.
Shortly after midnight, authorities were called to a South Charles Street bar located in Baltimore’s Federal Hill neighborhood, where they found Demby suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Although he was rushed to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, Demby ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
A preliminary investigation found that the shooting occurred following a verbal disturbance that broke out between other bar members who were present.
“The Howard County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the shocking and tragic loss of an off-duty deputy who was shot and killed in Baltimore last night,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post. “The Baltimore Police Department is actively investigating the incident. Our hearts are broken for the Demby family, Ryan’s friends and colleagues, and our entire sheriff’s office family.”
Demby was 23 years old when he was sworn in as a Howard County sheriff’s deputy back in March of this year. His father, Sam Demby, a first-class deputy, was with him during the ceremony and had the honor of pinning Demby’s badge onto his uniform.
“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Deputy Ryan Demby of the Howard County Sheriff’s Office,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in a statement. “The loss of this young, vibrant, promising life is absolutely heartbreaking…Howard County stands by you as we all mourn the loss of a shining, bright light in our community.”
“Deputy Demby made a commitment to keep the public safe, and it is gut-wrenching that his life was cut short by senseless gun violence,” U.S. Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin wrote.
“His family should not have to experience this heartache. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
The Howard County Sheriff’s Office announced that 40-year-old Jewel Crowder was charged with the killing and arrested on Sept. 29.
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