Baltimore County police charged a Northeast Baltimore man yesterday with two counts of attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of two former co-workers at an Overlea catering hall Saturday.

William Thomas Dowdy, 58, of the 2200 block of Pinewood Ave. was in police custody yesterday at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was taken with a leg wound minutes after the Overlea incident, police said.

Dennis Rembert Jr., 38, of the 300 block of Wellingborough Way in Cockeysville and Duane Thomas, 27, of the 4200 block of Stanwood Ave. in Baltimore, were taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where they were in critical condition yesterday.

County police said a man approached Rembert and Thomas as they were loading a truck outside Overlea Catering in the 6800 block of Belair Road and shot them about 10 a.m. He then fled in a 1991 Cadillac, police said.

When officers from the Northeastern District arrived at the Pinewood Avenue address, a man holding a handgun at his side confronted them, police said.

Police said the officers asked him to drop the semiautomatic weapon, but he responded by firing at them.

Police said it remained unclear whether he shot himself accidentally or was shot by officers.

In the city incident, Dowdy was charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault and using a handgun in the commission of a felony, said Sgt. Scott Rowe, a Baltimore police spokesman.

Former co-workers said Dowdy was upset about his departure from the company about a year ago.

Sun staff writer Richard Irwin contributed to this article.

Pub Date: 5/17/99