Attorney General could soon prosecute Maryland police officers over deadly actions

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland Lawyer Basic might quickly be granted new authority to prosecute law enforcement officials whose actions end in demise or severe harm.

Again in 2021 the Basic Meeting handed a regulation tasking the Lawyer Basic’s Workplace with investigating and reviewing all civilian fatalities that occur throughout encounters with police.

That laws nonetheless didn’t afford the Lawyer Basic with the ability to prosecute any officers concerned, as a substitute giving the ultimate say to native state’s legal professional’s workplaces.

After being elected and sworn into workplace in January, Maryland Lawyer Basic Anthony Brown lobbied the State Legislature to amend the regulation so he might make charging choices. Earlier this week, the Home of Delegates did simply that sending it to Governor Wes Moore’s workplace for last approval regardless of Republican opposition.

For the reason that regulation went into impact, the Lawyer Basic’s Impartial Investigations Division has investigated 37 such instances.

Out of these 18 investigative studies have been launched, none of them leading to costs being filed.

MORE: Maryland Lawyer Basic points standing report on police concerned deaths over the past 12 months

WMAR-2 Information has extensively lined every case dealt with by the Lawyer Basic’s Workplace. A majority of them embrace body-worn or dashboard digital camera footage.

There are presently 10 police concerned instances pending wherein native prosecutors haven’t but made a charging resolution.

1. Linda Moss, 74, was killed in a Baltimore crash as her husband fled in a automobile needed in connection to a theft
2. Alfred Fincher, 54, was killed after being run over by a driver fleeing Baltimore Metropolis Police in a stolen automobile
3. Brian McCourry Jr., 37, was shot and killed by a Baltimore County Police officer after he rammed a cruiser in an try to keep away from being arrested
4. Julie Clark, 26, was killed in a crash following a excessive pace police chase in Cecil County
5. Aaron Mensah, 23, was shot and killed by police in Frederick final November after allegedly killing his dad and stabbing his mom
6. Tyree Moorehead, 46, was shot and killed by police in Baltimore Metropolis after holding a girl at knife level
7. Kweli Murphy Al-Mateen, 17, was killed in a crash whereas being pursued by Baltimore Metropolis Police
8. Anthony Hopkins Sr. was shot and killed by Anne Arundel County Police after pointing a gun at officers throughout a home violence investigation final October
9. On July 20, 2022 Hamed Ghorouni Delcheh was killed after allegedly charging at a Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputy with a knife
10. Terry Harrell, 58, died when a Baltimore Metropolis Police officer ran a crimson mild and crashed into his scooter