Homicide ruled as manner of death for man who died at hands of Baltimore County police
The manner of death for the man who died at the hands of police in Baltimore County in February has been ruled a homicide, the State's Medical Examiner's Office confirmed.
Samuel Brown, 56, died on February 27, two weeks after an encounter with an officer at an intersection in Woodlawn. The officer, identified as Derek Hadel, has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Maryland Attorney General's Office.
The Baltimore County Police Department released the police-worn body camera footage after Brown's family and friends publicly demanded it be shared.
The Medical Examiner's Office has not revealed the cause of death.
The Baltimore County Police Department said in a statement, "At this time, the Maryland Office of the Attorney General's Independent Investigation Division continues to investigate this matter."
CBS News Baltimore reached out to the Baltimore County Police Department's union for comment.
Police release body-worn video
Investigators said the Baltimore County officer found Brown asleep behind the wheel at a stoplight in the area of Whitehead Court and Security Boulevard in Woodlawn around 3:30 a.m. on February 16.
The video shows footage of Brown getting out of his vehicle during a conversation with the officer. The video then shows Officer Hadel pushing Brown back two times.
A verbal altercation continues, and Brown is seen shoving the officer's hands down. The officer is then seen throwing two punches, and Brown falls back and hits his head on the concrete.
Brown's family and friends held a press conference following the release of the video, calling for accountability and justice.
"While at the same time, he hits big Sam in the face first with a right hook, and if you look really close, you see him swinging again with a left hook. And more importantly, the police report admits that it was a one-two punch followed with a left hook to his face," said Baltimore attorney Billy Murphy.
Friend and friends fight for justice
Brown's family and friends spoke out on March 5, condemning the officer's actions that led to his death.
They questioned if the officer had followed the police department's de-escalation policy. They also question parts of the body-worn video that redacts portions of the response.
Attorney Billy Murphy said they are waiting to get the entire, unredacted version of the body's camera footage from the Maryland Attorney General's Office, with respect to their investigation.
"When you look at the video, you can see that Officer Hadel, instead of de-escalating the situation, as he was required by law and departmental policy to do, he chose to escalate the situation illegally by sucker punching Big Sam in his face," Murphy said. "You can see at the time of the attack, Big Sam was obviously drunk, he was defenseless because he was standing still with his arms at his side when he got hit, his hands were empty."
Friends also said they are going to keep fighting for justice for Brown.
"We are going to continue fighting," said Roberto Silva, a friend who is publicly known as D.J. Quicksilva. "If y'all know me, I don't get tired. So when it comes to fighting for justice for Big Sam, I promise you this fight is just starting."
