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Federal judge: Maryland can’t ban concealed carry of guns in bars, private buildings

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Federal judge: Maryland can’t ban concealed carry of guns in bars, private buildings


A federal judge has ruled that Maryland can’t ban the concealed carry of firearms at restaurants that serve alcohol, in private buildings without the owner’s permission and within 1,000 feet of a public demonstration — effectively scaling back a gun-control law passed last year.

That law, the Gun Safety Act of 2023, was a reaction to a U.S. Supreme Court case that forced the state to drop most of its hurdles for obtaining a concealed-carry permit in Maryland. Unable to limit people from getting permits, lawmakers turned to limiting where those permits would be valid to carry handguns.

The law was given the designation that year as Senate Bill 1, an indication of its importance to Democratic leaders in the General Assembly.

The sweeping law banned permit holders from carrying concealed handguns in schools, colleges, health care facilities, government buildings, polling places, power plants, stadiums, museums, racetracks, casinos, at establishments that sell alcohol and on private property where the owner has not given permission.

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The state also has a law against carrying a concealed gun within 1,000 feet of demonstrations and rallies.

Gun-rights advocates immediately filed court challenges and last fall, a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of the ban on concealed carry at those three areas — establishments serving alcohol, on private property where the owner hasn’t given permission and within 1,000 feet of a public demonstration.

A ruling from U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III on Friday makes the block on those portions of the law permanent, while upholding other aspects of the law.

Mark Pennak of the advocacy group Maryland Shall Issue said the judge’s ruling “makes clear that the legislature overreached” when it passed the slate of restrictions on carrying guns.

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Pennak, who is a lawyer but not involved in the case, said he was disappointed that the judge did not go further and wipe out more of the restrictions.

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The Senate’s lead sponsor on the 2023 bill, Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher, said he was “deeply gratified” by the ruling and called law “just plain common sense.“

Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher, a democrat from Montgomery County, attends a news conference announcing new juvenile justice legislation in the Maryland State House lobby on January 31, 2024. (Ulysses Muñoz/The Baltimore Banner)

”The United States District Court upheld 99% of Senate Bill 1,” the Montgomery County Democrat said.

Attorney General Anthony Brown, a Democrat whose office defended the constitutionality and legality of the law, could appeal the ruling to a federal appeals court. Brown’s office declined to comment on the ruling on Tuesday.

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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat who supported the measure and signed it into law, did not immediately have a comment on the ruling.

This breaking news story will be updated.

Baltimore Banner reporter Lee O. Sanderlin contributed to this report.





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Maryland

Body-cam video of deadly Howard County police standoff released as Maryland AG investigates

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Body-cam video of deadly Howard County police standoff released as Maryland AG investigates


HOWARD COUNTY — The Maryland Office of the Attorney General (OAG) released body camera footage as they continue to investigate an officer-involved shooting that left a man dead after a two-hour standoff in Laurel.

On November 30, around 3:10 p.m., Howard County police responded to a home in the 1000 block of American Pharoah Lane for a domestic incident, according to the OAG.

The 911 caller reported that a man was banging on the front door and a preliminary investigation revealed he had fired several shotgun rounds at the door. He eventually made his way inside the home through a window.

The body cam footage begins as officers arrive on the scene. The video shows an officer walking toward the home as he reports on his radio that he sees a busted window and a case for a long gun outside.

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The man – later identified as 29-year-old Tyree Winslow of College Park – appeared in a second-floor window of the home as officers arrived, according to the OAG.

As the video continues, you can hear a woman cry for help, prompting the officer to move quickly toward the front door of the home. The officer then reports on the radio that he sees multiple shell casings.

The officer identifies himself as he moves close to the door and eventually reports that the door is barricaded, according to the video.

The cries for help get louder, and the officer indicates that he may have eyes on a woman in the home as he says, “Ma’am stay there…lay down.”

The video shows officers taking cover behind cars across the street from the home as the situation escalates and the officer gives verbal commands, asking to see Winslow’s hands. According to the OAG, Winslow did not comply and he and two officers exchanged gunfire.

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Another officer’s body camera captured him getting close to the home and helping a person down from an upstairs window of the home. The body camera falls off but captures the sounds of the officer helping another person down.

Police previously said three people were evacuated from the home and there were no other injuries.

The Howard County Police Tactical Team responded to the scene and established a barricade, according to the OAG. Officers were not able to contact Winslow and around 5:40 p.m., they entered the home.

Once inside, officers found Winslow suffering from gunshot wounds and he was pronounced dead on the scene, the OAG said. Police said it was unclear if he was killed by officer gunfire or by his weapon.

Several loaded firearms and a knife were found near Winslow’s body.

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The OAG previously identified the involved officers as Police Officer First Class (PFC) Christopher Weir, a 14-year veteran, and PFC Joseph Debronzo, a 15-year veteran. Both officers have been put on administrative leave.

Neighbor shares video

During the standoff, the neighborhood was on lockdown for several hours.

A neighbor shared video with WJZ showing the moment that tactical officers entered the home. The neighbor also said officers were using a drone to locate Winslow while he was inside the house.

Officer-Involved Shooting Investigation

The OAG’s Independent Investigations Division (IID) investigates all police-involved shootings as standard protocol.

“The idea is if you have an attorney general who is coming in to investigate these incidents, it removes the opportunity for a local agency to seem biased either in favor or against a local police department,” said Eric Bacaj, an independent legal expert who is not involved in this case.

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The IID was created by the General Assembly in 2021 as part of a series of police accountability reform bills, the OAG said.

Since October 2021, the division has conducted 65 investigations into fatal or near-fatal officer-involved incidents in Maryland, including two in Howard County.

See a full list of IID investigations below: 



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Maryland Lawmakers Convene With $3B Deficit and Uncertainties Over Incoming Trump Administration

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Maryland Lawmakers Convene With B Deficit and Uncertainties Over Incoming Trump Administration


ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland lawmakers are bracing for a fiscally challenging legislative session, which begins Wednesday. They are facing a budget deficit of roughly $3 billion and uncertainties about reductions in the federal government under President-elect Donald Trump that could have a big …



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Maryland General Assembly 2025 session starts Wednesday

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Maryland General Assembly 2025 session starts Wednesday


The Maryland General Assembly’s 2025 session begins at noon on Wednesday, when lawmakers will begin to tackle a number of high-interest issues. Policy decisions will be framed around how much money is available and what additional new revenue sources are acceptable.



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