SALISBURY, Md.- A judge on Tuesday morning denied bond for a man charged with murder in connection with late Sunday night's deadly shooting of a Wicomico County sheriff's deputy in Pittsville.

Twenty-year-old Austin J. Davidson, of Delmar, Md., appeared in Wicomico County District Court for a bail/bond review and was ordered to remain held without bond in the Wicomico County Detention Center. A preliminary hearing for Davidson is set for June 30 in district court. 

Davidson is charged with with first- and second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault and other offenses in the death of Wicomico County Deputy First Class Glenn Hilliard.

Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said Hilliard and another deputy went to the Talbot Apartments complex on Gumboro Road in Pittsville shortly before 8:30 p.m. Sunday to arrest Davidson, who had four outstanding warrants four his arrest. Hilliard and the other deputy initially did not see anyone who matched the description and they left, Lewis said. When Hilliard returned to the complex parking lot about 10 minutes later, he spotted a man leaving a stairwell who matched Davidson's description “to a T,” down to the description of the backpack he was carrying with caution tape on it, according to Lewis.

When Hilliard drove closer, the man ran off and the deputy chased him around the back of the complex, Lewis said. Hilliard gained on him quickly, announced that he would use a Taser stun gun and deployed it, but it was not effective, Lewis said.

As Davidson approached the woods, he turned and fired multiple shots from a laser-sighted semiautomatic handgun, striking Hilliard at least once, Lewis said. The shooting was captured on Hilliard's body-worn camera, he said. The deputy did not get a chance to pull his gun out of the holster, Lewis said.

Hilliard was taken by ambulance to TidalHealth Peninsula Regional in Salisbury, where he was pronounced dead.

More than 20 law enforcement agencies were involved in a search for Davidson and about two hours later, he walked out of the woods and surrendered, Lewis said. The handgun used in the shooting was recovered nearby, according to the sheriff.

During a press conference held Monday, in which Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan also attended, Lewis decried the fact that Davidson had even been out on the streets in the first place. Lewis said that Davidson was convicted in 2019 of armed robbery with a handgun after he robbed a McDonald's in Baltimore of $1,036. For that crime, Davidson received no jail time. Instead, he received probation before judgment, which left Davidson a free man. 

"Someone like this should not have been out on the streets," Lewis said. "It's unacceptable" this guy didn't serve any jail time for armed robbery." 

"This is not a gun issue; it's a behavior issue," Lewis said. "When asked why he did the armed robbery, what was [Davidson's] response? 'Because I can.' He's wreaked hell all over the Lower Eastern Shore. That's why we had multiple warrants."

Hogan who expressed his condolences to Hilliard's family and the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office, said, "Glenn Hilliard died doing what he loved. This is just a horrendous crime, tragedy. It happens far too often. These are men and women who every single day put their lives on the line. We owe them a tremendous amount of gratitude." 

Hogan also echoed Lewis' concerns about the need for truth in sentencing, agreeing with Lewis about the laxity of Baltimore City judges when it comes to the treatment of violent criminals. 

Hilliard's wife and three children, including a 12-year-old son who looks just like his father, are grieving their loss, Lewis said.

“It's a pain that's inescapable,” he said.

Hilliard was an 18-year law enforcement veteran, who served as a police officer with the Crisfield and Berlin police departments before going to the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office. 

Hilliard, who would have turned 42 on Wednesday of next week, is the first Wicomico County sheriff's deputy to die in the line of duty since 1968, when two deputies were killed in the line of the duty. 

The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit is leading the investigation into Hilliard's shooting with assistance from the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office.

Funeral arrangements for Hilliard have not yet been announced.