Two sheriff's deputies killed, suspect dead in Maryland shooting

(Reuters) - Two Maryland sheriff's deputies were fatally shot on Wednesday and a suspect killed in gunfire that started at a Baltimore-area restaurant filled with lunchtime diners, authorities said.

A deputy who responded to a disturbance report at a Panera Bread restaurant in Abingdon, about 25 miles northeast of Baltimore, was shot inside the building, said Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler.

A second deputy chased the suspected shooter outside the restaurant and was also wounded.

The two veteran deputies - one with 30 years at the sheriff's office and the other with 16 years - died of their injuries, said Gahler in a message on the office's Facebook page.

At least two other deputies fired rounds at the suspect, identified as David Brian Evans, a 67-year-old white man, Gahler said.

Evans had at least two outstanding warrants - including a criminal warrant from Florida for assaulting a police officer and fleeing. The other was a civil writ issued by Harford County Circuit Court.

A loaded handgun was recovered from Evans, Gahler said.

"Today is a sad day for the Harford County Sheriff's Office, and the citizens of Harford County we are sworn to serve," Gahler said. The identity of the deputies was not immediately available.

The other deputies who shot at Evans have been placed on administrative leave, per protocol, pending an investigation, Gahler said.

There were no additional suspects in the incident, which lasted about 15 minutes, he said.

(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales and Mary Wisniewski in Chicago and Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Chris Reese and Andrew Hay)