BALTIMORE (Reuters) - A policeman and civilian died and five others were wounded in an shooting incident outside a downtown Baltimore early on Sunday morning, with friendly fire possibly a factor in the policeman's death, a police spokesman said.

The officer who died “was attacked by a number of individuals and he withdrew his weapon in his self-defense,” police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, adding that independent witnesses had corroborated this.
The civilian killed, apparently by the officer, was one of the attackers, Guglielmi said.
He said the officer was responding to a disorderly disturbance at 1:15 a.m. outside a bar, the Select Lounge, involving a large group of individuals.
The officer “went to break up a fight, other individuals went to attack the officer, and ... began assaulting him severely,” Guglielmi said.
Pending notification of relatives, police have not identified the officer, but have confirmed he was an 8-year veteran in his 30's.
The officer was in plain clothes, and police are exploring a possible friendly fire situation, Guglielmi said, as “other officers down the street witnessed an individual in plain clothes firing a weapon. It's possible they fired in return.”
In addition to the two deaths, four civilians and one police officer were wounded in the incident, Guglielmi said.