Unarmed man shot, killed by Maryland police in domestic disturbance

Police officers in Maryland killed an unarmed man on Thursday, firing at least 19 rounds in a domestic disturbance incident, authorities said.

The death of the man, Spencer Lee McCain, 41, comes as U.S. police are under heightened scrutiny for excessive use of force.

Baltimore County officers were called to a home in Owings Mills just after 1 a.m. They forced their way inside when they heard a disturbance, the Baltimore County Police Department said in a statement.

Three officers shot McCain, fearing he had a weapon, but none was found. Investigators found 19 shell casings, but the exact number of rounds fired was unknown, the statement said.

McCain was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The officers have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

A 911 caller had told police that her granddaughter called her to say that her mother and father were fighting at the residence.

A woman and two children were also in the home and the woman was injured, the statement said. McCain was under a protective order barring him from having contact with the woman and the children and from going to the home.

Police had been called to the address about 17 times since January 2012, the statement said.

The death of Freddie Gray from injuries sustained while in custody of Baltimore’s city police in April triggered protests and rioting in Maryland, and also raised questions about police practices across the country.