Stroke kills commander of county SWAT unit

Stroke kills commander of county SWAT unit
Lt. Michael Howe collapsed after leading investigation into murder-suicide
By Jennifer McMenamin Sun reporter
7:42 PM EDT, August 12, 2008
A veteran Baltimore County police officer and the longtime commander of the department's tactical unit died Monday from a stroke he suffered a day earlier after leading the investigation into a murder-suicide in Randallstown.
Lt. Michael Howe spent Sunday morning at the home of a man who called police to say he had killed his wife and was about to shoot himself. There, the 55-year-old commander ordered his officers to enter the house of an armed man, just as he had done hundreds of times before. Officers found two bodies in the basement.
Hours later, Lt. Howe collapsed at his Carroll County home. He died Monday afternoon at the Johns Hopkins Hospital of an apparent massive stroke, police said Tuesday.
"He was a shining example of the best in American policing," said Baltimore County Police Chief James W. Johnson. "It is a significant loss for this agency."
go here for more of this


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-howe0812,0,3277150.story


Lieutenant Howe died Monday of a stroke he suffered a day earlier after leading an investigation into a murder-suicide in Randallstown.
Related links
Lt. Michael Howe
He is receiving full departmental honors.


Balto. Co. police ID man who allegedly killed wife, himself
By Kevin Rector Sun reporter
11:44 AM EDT, August 11, 2008
Baltimore County police today identified Palmer Corbin White, 71, as the man who allegedly shot and killed himself after fatally shooting his wife, Dianne Pittman White, 55, yesterday in their home in Randallstown.

Police said in a statement that detectives learned that he was "suffering from several medical and financial problems." They said they were unsure why his wife was killed.Palmer White called 911 at 7:24 a.m. yesterday and told the dispatcher that he had just killed his wife, police said. He then said, "I'm going down to [the basement] to join her," police said.A SWAT team entered the house in the 4200 block of Mary Ridge Drive after unsuccessful attempts to reach White by phone and found both bodies in the basement, police said.
The investigation is continuing, police said.kevin.rector@baltsun.com



Police funeral today to close highways
August 16, 2008
Parts of the Baltimore Beltway, Interstate 795 and Interstate 83 will be closed this afternoon for a funeral procession for Lt. Michael Howe, who was commander of the Baltimore County police tactical unit, authorities said.According to Baltimore County police, there also will be sporadic closures of Route 30 in Carroll County from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. today in the area of North Carroll Middle School and St. Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church in Manchester, where the service will take place at 9:30 a.m.After the service, starting about noon, both Route 30 and southbound I-795 will be closed for the funeral procession to Timonium. About 12:30 p.m., police will close the inner loop of the Beltway from I-795 to I-83, and northbound I-83 to Padonia Road. About 2 p.m., Padonia Road will be closed from I-83 to Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. The roads will reopen after the procession passes.