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Howard Co. Police Officers Who Shot Man with Autism Won’t Be Charged, Md. AG Says
The 10-page report said officers followed use-of-force policy and body camera video showed LaMorie advancing with a knife.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced Tuesday that his office will not file criminal charges against three Howard County police officers involved in the fatal March 1 shooting of 25-year-old Alexander LaMorie.
Howard County police responded to Patuxent Commons on March 1 after LaMorie called 911 to report he was being harassed and blackmailed during an online extortion scam.
The Independent Investigations Division report found "insufficient evidence" that officers committed a crime, noting they fired 12 shots after LaMorie approached them with a knife despite multiple commands to stop.
Criticizing the decision, Jill Harrington, LaMorie's mother, stated officers were "unprepared" to handle a mental health crisis and "treated Alex's life-threatening behavioral-medical crisis like a crime."
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball committed to bolstering crisis response resources, stating nearly 80% of officers receive specialized training for interactions with individuals with autism and disabilities.