The Sheriff's Office said the deputy was traveling on Route 26 near White Rock Road, where traffic was stopped because of a groundhog in the road.
Advertisement Video of the incident posted on Facebook shows traffic stopped in both directions on Liberty Road in Eldersburg.
The Sheriff's Office said the deputy tried to guide the groundhog off the road. The groundhog then went toward the deputy, who shot the animal.
Several residents e-mailed 11 News with concerns about the killing of the groundhog and the way the situation was handled by the sheriff's deputy, according to WBALTV.
People took to twitter to give their reactions to this situation