Baltimore police say off-duty DC officer fatally shot
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An off-duty Washington, D.C., police officer was fatally shot while sitting in a parked car in Baltimore and a woman with him was injured, authorities said Saturday.
Baltimore police said in a statement that officers found 40-year-old Tony Anthony Mason Jr. with gunshot wounds early Saturday morning. He died of his injuries at a hospital.
The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington said Mason, a sergeant, was a 17-year veteran of the force. Public information officer Sean Hickman referred all further inquiries to Baltimore police.
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According to the statement from Baltimore police, investigators believe Mason and a 43-year-old woman were inside the car when an unknown suspect approached, began shooting and then fled.
The woman, who wasn't identified, suffered a gunshot wound to her leg and was taken to a hospital.
No information about a motive was immediately released, and a spokesman said Saturday afternoon that he had no new updates on the ongoing investigation.
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David Simonetti, the director of the police academy at Hagerstown Community College, told the Baltimore Sun he worked with Mason from 2004 to 2009 and described him as a tough, diligent officer.
"He was just the nicest guy — always happy to see you and greeted you with a smile," Simonetti said. "He'd do anything for you, without having to be asked."
Mason's killing came amid a push by activists for a weekend cease-fire in Baltimore, which has been in the throes of a crime surge for more than two years.
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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.