On the night of December 19, 2007, a tragic sequence of events unfolded in Washington County, Maryland, culminating in the death of 25-year-old Smithsburg Police Officer Christopher Shane Nicholson, a White male. Officer Nicholson was responding to a call to assist the Washington County Sheriff's Office concerning a domestic disturbance. The suspect, Douglas Wayne Pryor, was reported to have just murdered his ex-girlfriend, Alison Munson.
Officer Nicholson, who was the only Smithsburg
officer on duty, had parked his patrol car to await backup. As he waited, Pryor drove toward him and opened fire. A rifled slug struck Officer Nicholson in the chest, in an area not protected by his vest. Despite the mortal wound, he was able to return fire and empty his weapon into the suspect's vehicle as it fled the scene. Responding deputies found Officer Nicholson near his cruiser in a field. He was airlifted to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Following the shooting, a large-scale search involving multiple law enforcement agencies and a helicopter was initiated. A little over an hour later, officers located Pryor in his pickup truck about a mile and a half from where Officer Nicholson was shot. When confronted, Pryor immediately began shooting at the officers, leading to an exchange of gunfire with the Special Response Team. Pryor was wounded during the shootout and taken into custody.
Douglas Wayne Pryor was charged with the first- and second-degree murder of both Alison Munson and Officer Christopher Nicholson. In May 2009, Pryor pleaded guilty to the murders. He was also convicted for shooting at four other officers. For his crimes, he was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences, with no possibility of parole. In 2011, Pryor withdrew a petition for a new trial, which he had filed claiming ineffective legal counsel.
