North Baltimore Journal

BALTIMORE, MD – The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General is investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred in Carroll County, Maryland on Sunday, June 4, 2023. 

On Saturday, June 3, at approximately 9:00 p.m., troopers with Maryland State Police (MSP) responded to a residence in the 1200 block of Liberty Road in Eldersburg for the report of a suicidal man. Troopers received information that an adult male called into a crisis hotline threatening to commit suicide with a gun and that he was under the influence. The caller did not indicate which type of substance he had taken. Troopers arrived on the scene and attempted to make contact with the man. During that time, a barricade was declared, and MSP’s S.T.A.T.E. (SWAT) Team, and crisis negotiation team responded to the scene. 

During the barricade, troopers used a public address speaker to talk to the man inside the residence. The barricade continued overnight, and at approximately 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 4, a portion of body-worn camera footage preliminarily reviewed by IID investigators showed the man came to the front door with a dark object in his hand, which he pointed towards troopers. One trooper discharged their firearm, striking the man. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A gun was recovered near the man at the scene. No troopers were injured.

 The Independent Investigations Division will generally release the name of the decedent and discharging officer within 48 hours of the incident, though that period may be extended if there is a specific reason to believe that an officer’s safety is at risk.

 Troopers on scene were equipped with body-worn cameras, which recorded the incident. The Independent Investigations Division will generally release body-worn camera footage within 14 days of an incident. There may be situations where more than 14 days is necessary, including if investigators need more time to complete witness interviews, if there are technical delays caused by the need to shield the identities of civilian witnesses, or to allow family members to view the video before it is released to the public.

The IID conducts all officer-involved fatality investigations in conjunction with the Maryland State Police. The IID and MSP have issued a protocol for cases that involve MSP personnel. Under that protocol, as soon as practicable after MSP’s initial response, MSP will make every reasonable effort to staff the investigation with MSP personnel who are assigned to a different region of the State. MSP will also conduct a comprehensive inquiry to determine whether any MSP personnel involved in the investigation has a conflict of interest. 

Original source can be found here.