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He testified on behalf of George Floyd’s killer. Now his decisions as Maryland medical examiner are being reviewed.

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He testified on behalf of George Floyd’s killer. Now his decisions as Maryland medical examiner are being reviewed.


From her residence in Baltimore final 12 months, Tawanda Jones watched police officer Derek Chauvin stand trial in a Minneapolis courtroom for the homicide of George Floyd. Whereas the content material of the extensively televised proceedings in 2021 was disturbing, for Jones probably the most troubling half was the testimony of skilled pathologist Dr. David Fowler. 

Showing on behalf of the officer accused in Floyd’s loss of life — documented within the notorious video displaying Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck — Fowler testified that the reason for loss of life couldn’t be decided: “That is a kind of instances the place you might have so many conflicting manners,” Fowler mentioned. “So I might fall again to undetermined.”

Fowler testified it was inconceivable to say what killed Floyd. 

Jones watched in disbelief. “I wished to knock my TV off the wall,” she mentioned.

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Jones had seen Fowler log off on an identical conclusion within the case of her brother, who died in police custody in 2013 in Baltimore after a site visitors cease. As Maryland’s chief health worker for over 17 years earlier than leaving in 2019, Fowler oversaw greater than 1,300 instances involving deaths in custody.

Outrage about Fowler’s testimony on the Chauvin trial was felt each at residence in Maryland and throughout the medical group. Dr. Roger Mitchell, who was chief health worker in Washington, D.C. for seven years, wrote a letter to the Division of Justice and the Maryland Legal professional Common’s workplace accusing Fowler of “apparent bias” and “malpractice” within the Floyd case. 

Dr. David Fowler
Dr. David Fowler, a retired forensic pathologist and former chief health worker for the state of Maryland, testifies on April 14, 2021, within the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, charged within the loss of life of George Floyd.

Courtroom TV by way of AP, Pool


Mitchell advised CBS that he felt compelled to behave. “To have that kind of study being proffered on the stand, I used to be appalled,” he mentioned. “I knew I needed to do one thing.”

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Mitchell referred to as for an unbiased evaluation of the health worker’s determinations in 1,300 loss of life in custody instances that occurred throughout Fowler’s 17-year-long tenure in Maryland. Greater than 400 different medical professionals signed Mitchell’s letter. 

“There’s a tradition of deciding when there’s an altercation with regulation enforcement, that their manners of loss of life are referred to as accidents and undetermined,” Mitchell defined, including that prosecutors usually will not pursue attempting officers in instances the place the reason for loss of life was dominated unintended or undetermined. 

These questions have given rise to an uncommon — if not unprecedented — evaluation of autopsies in about 100 instances wherein folks had been restrained and died within the custody of police or corrections officers in Maryland. In response to the letter, the Maryland Legal professional Common’s workplace determined it ought to take a better look to verify the post-mortem studies precisely mirrored the causes attributed to the tons of of deaths in police custody throughout that point interval.

“Whenever you get a letter from 400 consultants saying, ‘One thing’s incorrect,’ there is a fairly good likelihood that they’ve one thing that you need to take a tough take a look at,” Maryland Legal professional Common Brian Frosh mentioned. “The massive query for us was: What occurred in Maryland?”

Fowler didn’t reply to a number of requests for remark from CBS Information. He beforehand mentioned in a press release that he’s “assured that any truthful evaluation will verify that the Workplace met or exceeded all relevant skilled requirements.”

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Frosh has proceeded with an audit of some 1,300 instances, using consultants from across the nation. That effort has since narrowed to deal with about 100 instances wherein somebody died whereas in bodily restraint, and the health worker’s workplace discovered the reason for loss of life undetermined. He mentioned while you couple the questions on Fowler’s posture on the Floyd case “with the complaints of households of people that died in police custody saying ‘the identical factor occurred to my child,’ or ‘my father,’ or ‘my brother’ … it turns into apparent that one thing must be checked out.”

Jones believes her brother’s case is among the many 100 being reviewed, though neither Frosh nor others concerned would verify which instances have been chosen. She says the case warrants a evaluation.

Whereas chief health worker for Maryland, Fowler had signed off on a ruling that the way of loss of life “couldn’t be decided” in her brother’s case. Tyrone West  died in July 2013 after a site visitors cease resulted in an altercation with police. In accordance with the autopsy report from Fowler’s workplace, West ended up “inclined on the bottom,” however reportedly continued to withstand officers makes an attempt “to restrain and subdue him with using handcuffs and baton strikes.”

The wrestle continued till West “out of the blue grew to become unresponsive.”

“They only mentioned that my brother had some kind of well being situation and died in police restraint. That was their phrases. And we’re like, ‘What well being situation? Like, what are you speaking about?’” Jones mentioned. “They had been protecting up.”

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Jones and her household wished a second opinion. An post-mortem commissioned by the household concluded that her brother died from an officer’s knee in his again leading to positional asphyxia. That is the identical means George Floyd died. 

Not one of the officers in West’s case confronted prison fees after an inner investigation cleared them of wrongdoing. In 2014, Jones, on behalf of her brother’s property, filed a wrongful loss of life lawsuit and reached a settlement settlement with the Metropolis of Baltimore and the State of Maryland. As a result of the settlement contained a non-disparagement clause, Jones mentioned she eliminated herself from the case so she might proceed to talk out. She advised CBS Information that she didn’t financially profit from the settlement, however the cash from the settlement went to West’s kids.

Frosh, who’s leaving workplace in January, wouldn’t verify whether or not West’s case was amongst these being reviewed, however West’s sister stays hopeful that he is not going to be forgotten. Frosh mentioned his purpose for not confirming the names related to instances below evaluation is that the method should stay uninfluenced by grieving households or cops. If any errors are present in these put up mortem rulings, officers concerned in these instances might be topic to prison fees. 

Frosh’s successor, Congressman Anthony Brown, will take over as legal professional common in January. He declined a request from CBS Information to touch upon the continuing evaluation.

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Maryland

Maryland Weather: Nice stretch with rain chance Friday into Saturday

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Maryland Weather: Nice stretch with rain chance Friday into Saturday


BALTIMORE -Nice weather continues through Thursday. Sprinkles & drizzle may develop Friday with steadier rain likely Saturday. 

We are right in the middle of an outstanding weather pattern that will continue into Thursday. Temperatures reached the middle to upper 70s Wednesday afternoon with comfortable humidity levels. High clouds are mainly south of Baltimore, so we’ve enjoyed a mostly sunny sky.

We have a fantastic evening of weather on the way. If you’re headed to the Os game this evening expect mostly sunny weather for the 1st pitch at 6:35 PM against the White Sox. Temperatures will start in the upper 70s, but then ease into the lower 70s by the end of the game. 

Early fall-like temperatures return tonight with lows in the 50s for most neighborhoods. The coolest overnight lows in the low 50s will be located in neighborhoods north and west of the Baltimore Beltway. Temperatures in the metro will dip down into the upper 50s. Any patchy high thin clouds will sink south overnight.

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Humidity levels gradually climb Thursday, but we still score ourselves a very nice day. Highs will climb toward 80°. Other than a few patchy clouds, expect a mostly sunny sky. 

You will feel even more humidity in the air on Friday. With an easterly to southeasterly wind off the Ocean, areas of low clouds will be possible. As the atmosphere continues to moisten through the day Friday, patchy sprinkles and drizzle will become possible. The greatest chance for this happening would be late Friday into Friday evening. While the rain will be light and patchy in nature, you may want a poncho or light rain jacket if you’re headed to any high school Friday night football games. 

Scattered showers and patchy drizzle is likely Friday night with lows in the middle 60s.

Saturday will be our last real humid day for awhile. Expect patchy areas of light rain and showers during the morning and midday hours. There may be a lull or two in the wet weather Saturday, but a steadier round of showers, possibly a thunderstorm will cross the area Saturday evening into early Saturday night. Highs on Saturday will top out in the upper 70s. The cold front that’s responsible for Saturday’s wet weather will flush out the clouds, showers, and humidity overnight Saturday. Temperatures late Saturday night will fall into the lower to middle 50s!

Sunday has another beautiful fall-like feel. Early morning temperatures in the lower to middle 50s with highs in the middle 70s. We get to enjoy abundant sunshine and pleasant breeze out of the northwest at 10 mph.

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A winning stretch of weather continues for most of next week along with a gradual warming trend. Highs on Monday reach the upper 70s. By Tuesday and Wednesday, high temperatures climb into the lower 80s with plenty of sunshine and low humidity. We get to enjoy yet another spectacular stretch of September weather for most of next week with little to no rain! 



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Maryland Senate race poll shows Democrat Alsobrooks leading GOP's Hogan, despite 1 in 3 not knowing who she is

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Maryland Senate race poll shows Democrat Alsobrooks leading GOP's Hogan, despite 1 in 3 not knowing who she is


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The Democratic candidate for senate in Maryland is leading her GOP rival despite more than a third of eligible voters not recognizing her name.

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A poll published by Gonzales Research & Media Services this week found that Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has pulled ahead of Republican former Governor Larry Hogan by five points — 46% to 41%.

Alsobrooks’ current success in the polls comes as a surprise, given the Democratic candidate’s continued struggles with low name recognition among voters.

The Gonzales poll found that approximately 34% of registered voters do not recognize Alsobrooks by name. This includes approximately 33% of independents who do not recognize Alsobrooks, as well as 17% of eligible voters registered with the Democratic Party.

NEW POLL REVEALS REPUBLICAN SENATE CANDIDATE DEADLOCKED WITH DEM IN CRUCIAL DEEP BLUE STATE

Maryland Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks speaks at a campaign event on Gun Violence Awareness Day at Kentland Community Center in Landover, Maryland. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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Notably, 72% of total eligible voters told the pollster that they did not recognize the Democratic candidate.

MARYLAND DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE SAYS THERE SHOULD BE NO LIMIT ON ABORTION

The winner of the November election will succeed Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, who is retiring this year after serving nearly two decades in the Senate and nearly six decades as a state and then federal lawmaker.

With Democrats trying to protect their fragile Senate majority, Hogan’s late entry into the race in February gave them an unexpected headache in a state previously considered safe territory. 

Larry Hogan wins GOP Senate nomination in Maryland

Former two-term Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland celebrates his victory in the 2024 Maryland Republican Senate primary, in Annapolis, Maryland. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Hogan left the governor’s office at the beginning of 2023 with very positive approval and favorable ratings.

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A vocal Republican critic of former President Trump who previously flirted with a 2024 White House run, Hogan has repeatedly said that he will not vote for the former president in November’s election. In the spring, he stood out from most other Republicans for publicly calling for the guilty verdicts in Trump’s criminal trial to be respected.

The Gonzales Research & Media Services poll was conducted from Aug. 24 to Aug. 30 and surveyed 820 self-described likely voters via phone interviews.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.



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Guns flood the nation’s capital. Maryland, D.C. attorneys general point at top sellers.

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Guns flood the nation’s capital. Maryland, D.C. attorneys general point at top sellers.



The lawsuit announced on Tuesday claims three stores sold one person 34 guns over six months and ignored the buyer’s red flags.

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The nation’s capital is grappling with a deadly flood of weapons. Prosecutors are pointing fingers at three federally licensed gun stores in Maryland.

Attorneys general of Maryland and Washington D.C. filed a lawsuit Tuesday against three gun shops for selling firearms to a straw purchaser – the same stores identified as the top retailers of recovered crime guns in Maryland between August 2020 and July 2021, according to a report commissioned by the state attorney general’s office.

According to the lawsuit, the three stores in Montgomery County, Maryland, roughly 25 miles northwest of Washington D.C., collectively sold 34 semiautomatic pistols to one person in six months. Only two remained with the purchaser, while the rest are presumed to be trafficked, prosecutors said.

Some have been recovered from people accused of assault, a stabbing, and drug distribution, the lawsuit added, while most remain unaccounted for.

“Federally licensed gun dealers know the law and they know what to look for to spot possibleillegal trafficking. As this lawsuit demonstrates, gun dealers cannot just choose to ignore these warning signs and guardrails,” said Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. “Let this be a warning to other dealers who put public safety at risk to make a profit: We are watching, and we will hold you accountable for illegal conduct that fuels gun violence across our region.”

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The lawsuit comes as public health experts and gun safety advocates warn about an alarming level of gun violence across the nation — guns are the leading killer of children in the U.S. and kill nearly 50,000 people a year. Lawsuits in other states have also targeted sellers and traffickers as culprits in gun crimes, including New Jersey, Michigan, and Philadelphia.

Lawsuit: Man bought 34 guns in 6 months

Three federally licensed gun stores – Engage Armament, United Gun Shop and Atlantic Guns – collectively sold Demetrius Minor, an “obvious straw purchaser,” 34 guns between April 6 and October 5, 2021, according to the lawsuit filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court.

According to Engage Armament’s records cited in the lawsuit, Minor spent more than $31,000 at the one store for at least 25 guns. In July 2021 alone, he came to the store at least four times and bought five guns, prosecutors said.

Minor gave many of the weapons to a relative, Donald Willis, a Washington D.C. resident with a record of violent felonies, the lawsuit said, and Willis then spread the guns to other “dangerous individuals.” Minor has been convicted for his role in the straw sales. But Tuesday’s lawsuit said the stores “who chose profits over safety” have faced no consequences for their “critical role in fueling gun violence” in the D.C. metro region.

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At least nine of the weapons, which the lawsuit contends were “illegally sold,” were found at crime scenes in Washington D.C. and surrounding Maryland suburbs. “Many more are likely in the hands of other individuals legally barred from possessing firearms and will be used in future crimes,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit cites a federally required form to buy a gun — the ATF firearms transaction record — which is used to determine whether a gun sale is legal. The form notes that straw purchases are illegal, meaning the firearm must go to the person who legally bought it. It also states that the seller is responsible for ensuring the sale is legal, and simply conducting a background check does not fulfill obligations.

The lawsuit notes that just as straw purchases are illegal, it is also against the law for a firearm dealer to help advance illegal sales, and federal law requires licensed dealers to report when an unlicensed buyer purchases two or more handguns within five days.

Atlantic Guns denied the straw sales allegations in a statement to USA TODAY on Tuesday.

“Atlantic Guns, Inc. has never and will never knowingly sell to someone who we have reason to believe is committing a straw purchase,” the store said, declining to comment further before review of the lawsuit.

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Engage Armament and United Gun Shop didn’t immediately return USA TODAY’s requests for comment.

Cities and states across U.S. go after sellers to battle gun violence

The lawsuit Tuesday is the latest to sweep the nation as cities and victims of shootings target firearm stores and traffickers to battle gun violence.

Last July, Philadelphia announced a lawsuit against three vendors that the city said were the source of more than 1,300 crime guns between 2015 and 2019. The weapons were used in shootings, a home invasion, drug crimes, vehicle theft, and more, according to the city.

Three Missouri men were charged earlier this year for illegally selling guns to the people who fired shots into the Super Bowl victory parade that killed a mother and injured over 20 people earlier this year.

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In Michigan, the parents of a 14-year-old Oxford High School student who was severely injured in a 2021 mass killing, named a gun store as one of the defendants in a lawsuit, alleging Acme Shooting Goods negligently and illegally sold the firearm used in the school assault that killed four people and wounded seven others. Acme sold the gun to the shooter’s father while ignoring signs it was a straw purchase, the lawsuit alleged.

In July 2023, a northern Indiana gun shop that police called a key supplier of Chicago’s criminal firearms market announced it was closing its doors after Chicago sued Westforth Sports in 2021 over what it said was a pattern of illegal gun sales.

A USA TODAY investigation earlier this year found the majority of guns used in crimes are sold by a small fraction of the nation’s gun shops. Two of the Maryland gun shops named in Tuesday’s lawsuit – United and Atlantic – were on a list by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives of stores that sold at least 25 guns traced to a crime over a year that were purchased within the past three years.

Contributing: Nick Penzenstadler and Grace Hauck, USA TODAY



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