BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — The Sarasota police chief's daughter was shot Thursday and is undergoing surgery in Maryland, according to police officials.
Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino was notified that her daughter, Tabitha Hays, an officer with the Baltimore County Police Department in Maryland, was shot in the line of duty.
Hays was shot in the upper body and transported to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, where she is undergoing surgery. She is expected to survive, according to a news release from the Baltimore County Government.
As of 2 p.m. Friday, she was stable.
Police originally said the 76-year-old suspect, Robert Uhl Johnson, fired at officers, but investigators now say he only pointed a gun at officers -- leading them to fatally shoot him. Johnson's gun was not loaded, authorities said.
It's unclear who shot Hays.
She is a 13.5-year veteran of the Baltimore County police force. She is currently assigned to the Parkville Precinct patrol.
Sarasota police say DiPino is in Maryland with her daughter and family.
"The Sarasota Police Department asks for the Chief’s privacy to be respected during this difficult time," the department said in a statement.
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