Man threatens officer with needle, disease, police say

A man suspected of stealing from a drug store in Brooklyn Park Wednesday afternoon threatened an off-duty Anne Arundel County police officer with a needle, according to authorities.

"When confronted, the suspect pulled out a hypodermic syringe, repeatedly stabbed himself with it and threatened to infect the officer with a communicable disease," a statement from police says.

The officer protected himself and the man was caught on Ritchie Highway a short time later. For more details, read the news release from police:

On September 28, 2011 at approximately 1537 hours, officers responded the Rite-Aid store in the 5800 block of Ritchie Highway, Brooklyn Park, MD for a reported theft. The suspect, described as a thin black male, dropped store property and ran as officers were responding.

An off-duty officer saw the suspect in the median of Ritchie Highway near Hammonds Lane. When confronted, the suspect pulled out a hypodermic syringe, repeatedly stabbed himself with it and threatened to infect the officer with a communicable disease.

The officer was able to protect himself from the suspect in this heavily trafficked area, but the suspect continued his flight north along Ritchie Highway. Responding patrol officers canvassed the business area where the suspect fled but were initially unable to locate him.

At approximately 1613hours, officers responded to the Save-A-Lot in the 5000 block of Ritchie Highway, Brooklyn Park for another reported theft. The suspect description in this incident matched the description from the earlier incident at Rite Aid. The suspect filled a trash bag with merchandise and held a knife in view of store personnel as he departed with the property.

The suspect was last seen running north on Ritchie Highway, and responding officers found him as he tried to hide in the 4500 block of Ritchie Highway. The suspect was taken into custody without incident and was positively identified as the person involved in the Rite Aid incident and assault on the off-duty officer. No one was injured during either altercation.