Man charged in attack on officer | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

Baltimore police said Matthew Gonzalez shot Officer Lee Joines while he was being questioned in connection with an incident involving ransacking a car in Brooklyn Park.

Officer Joines, 30, was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time and has since been treated and released from the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Officer Joines has been with county police for four years and works in the Northern District.

According to statistics released yesterday by county police, there have been nearly 100 on county police officers reported this year. In 2007 assaults to county officers totaled 217.

"Many of these assaults occurred while an officer was attempting to take some type of law enforcement action," Sgt. John Gilmer, police spokesman, said in a prepared statement.

In addition to the attack on Officer Jones, two more assaults on police were reported this week.

Yesterday shortly after midnight, Eastern District officers were called to the 8200 block of Old Mill Road in Pasadena for a family fight. They confronted a man armed with a frying pan.

While he was being taken into custody, Officer Dina Johnson was forced against a kitchen countertop by the man, injuring her right forearm and shoulder.

She was treated at Anne Arundel Medical Center and released.

Police charged Monroe Page of 8200 Old Mill Road with assault.

On Tuesday, police were called to the 1400 block of Stoney Point Way in Curtis Bay at 10:50 p.m. for another domestic disturbance.

Officer Mark Zukowski injured his right shoulder while arresting the landlord involved in the dispute.

In 2005, state lawmakers made it a felony to intentionally cause physical injury to a law enforcement officer engaged in the performance of the officer's official duties.

The most serious incident this week was the assault on Officer Joines Tuesday morning.

The officer was questioning Mr. Gonzalez on Audrey Avenue in Brooklyn Park about ransacking a stolen car. They started to scuffle and Officer Joines shocked him with a Taser. Mr. Gonzalez was able to pull out a gun and fire at the officer, police said.

Mr. Gonzalez ran off, but was caught a short time later. Baltimore police are handling the investigation.

Editor Rick Hutzell contributed to this story.