North Baltimore Journal

BALTIMORE, MD – The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Office of the Attorney General on May 3, 2023 released its interim and supplemental investigative reports of the November 29, 2022, fatal officer-involved shooting in Frederick County. 

On November 29, at approximately 2:10 a.m., deputies with the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in the 5800 block of Haller Place after receiving a 911 call for a male, later identified as Aaron Mensah, attacking, and stabbing his mother and father. Once on scene, deputies located the mother and father suffering from stab wounds and began providing medical aid. Additional deputies, officers with the Frederick City Police Department, and Maryland State Police Troopers responded to the area and located Mr. Mensah in the 5800 block of Zoe Lane. A review of body-worn camera footage shows officers began speaking with Mr. Mensah and gave him commands to “drop the knife.” One officer deployed a less-lethal beanbag shotgun round at Mensah. Mr. Mensah then rapidly moved toward officers. At that point, multiple officers deployed their Tasers and Deputies Cassy Boettcher, Travis Stely, and Nathan McLeroy discharged their firearms, striking Mensah. Officers rendered medical aid to Mr. Mensah. He was later pronounced dead on scene. A knife was recovered near Mensah at the shooting scene. The mother and father were taken to area hospitals where the father was later pronounced dead. No officers were injured. 

The IID and the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office agreed that an interim report would be useful because all aspects of the investigation were final other than the autopsy reports and ballistic analysis. The IID forwarded its interim investigative report to the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office on March 20, 2023. The Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office notified the IID on April 17 of its decision not to prosecute the case. A supplemental report providing the results of the autopsies and ballistic analysis, was completed and concluded the IID’s investigation on April 27. 

The IID’s interim report contains detailed investigative findings and an analysis of relevant legal issues. The IID’s report does not make any recommendations as to whether any individual should or should not be charged because the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office—not the IID—retains prosecution authority in this case. By law, the IID’s reports must remain confidential until any related prosecution is completed or the State’s Attorney’s Office declines to prosecute. A copy of the IID’s interim and supplemental investigative reports can be found here. 

Original source can be found here.