Maryland State Police, Maryland
End of Watch: Tuesday, October 17, 1995
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: October 17, 1995
Weapon Used: Handgun; .45 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Trooper Edward Plank was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Route 13, near Perry Road in Westover, at 1:09 a.m.
Unbeknownst to Trooper Plank, the driver and passenger of the car were returning to the state after purchasing narcotics. Trooper Plank called for backup when he became suspicious of the driver. After conferring with another officer he approached the vehicle a second time, at which point he was shot in the face and killed instantly. The two subjects fled but were caught later in the day. One of the men was caught after breaking into a house. The owner of the house clubbed the man with an empty rifle after being shot at and then held the man until police arrived.
Four hundred grams of cocaine were found in the car that Trooper Plank had stopped.
The shooter plead guilty to first-degree murder on May 14th, 1996, and was sentenced to death. In July 1998 the suspect's death sentence was overturned and he now is facing life in prison.
Trooper Plank had served with the Maryland State Police for seven years. He was survived by his wife, a 7-month-old daughter, and his parents.