Howard County leaders promise to improve police response after deadly shooting of autistic man
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Police Chief Gregory Der made it clear that training for situations like the deadly police shooting that killed an autistic man earlier this month is a priority.
Ball and Der addressed those concerns Thursday, with Der also revealing 25-year-old Alexander Lamorie had called 911 another time before he was shot by police.
New information in the case
Lamorie was killed on March 1 after Howard County police responded to a call at the Patuxent Commons apartments in Columbia for a man threatening to harm himself.
Officers arrived at the parking lot of an apartment complex in Columbia, where they later found Lamorie armed with a knife in one hand, according to officials.
Despite commands from officers, police said Lamorie refused to drop the knife. Three officers fired their weapons, and Lamorie was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the Maryland Attorney General's Office.
But Der said Thursday Lamorie appeared to be the victim of a scam, saying late night on Feb. 28, Lamorie reported it to 911.
"After exchanging personal information and photos online with someone who claimed to be a young woman, Alex received a threat from the individual stating the private exchanges would be released unless money was paid," he said. "Unfortunately, this type of crime is becoming increasingly common."
Der said police are now investigating that scam, as the Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division is conducting an investigation into the shooting.
Der has requested the body camera video footage to be released earlier than the usual timeframe, which is typically within 20 days of an incident.
The officers involved in the shooting have been identified as two-year veteran Officer Joel Rodriguez, six-year veteran Officer Cody Bostic, and 10-year veteran PFC Joseph Riebau, according to the AG's Office.
Officers recovered a knife near Lamorie's body after the incident, officials said.
Better police response
From the beginning, many have been shaken by the shooting.
The shooting occurred as residents of the Patuxent Commons watched nearby.
The apartment was built under a partnership led by the Autism Society of Maryland, and nearly a quarter of the units are allocated to individuals with disabilities. Another 40% is affordable housing for seniors.
"It was crazy because it wasn't covered up or anything when I saw it," said resident Kiel McDonald. "I don't think they should have killed him. They could have shot him in the leg or something, or maybe just tried to detain him."
The shooting has since come under scrutiny, including by the Hickory Ridge Community Association, which represents the village where Patuxent Commons is.
In a letter addressed to county leadership, the village's board brought up police's 911 Address Flagging Program, where people can flag their address to alert dispatchers people who are autistic, or have other developmental disabilities, are in certain homes to ensure the proper response.
"With these systems in place to deal with both individuals with autism and mental health situations, the outcome of Sunday's interaction is even more shocking and counter to the results Howard County residents expect from their police department," the letter reads.
When addressing these concerns Thursday, Ball and Der both said police is working to improve its response.
"Moving forward, here in Howard County, we will forge even closer partnerships among law enforcement, disability advocates, mental health professionals, and members of our neurodivergent community to identify meaningful ways to learn and grow," Ball said.
Both also said nearly 80% of county police officers are certified in a specialized intervention training that focuses on people with autism and other disabilities.
Ball adds the county is looking to expand officers' resources, particularly to add more non-lethal options.
"[This includes] the purchasing of additional tasers so our officers have more alternatives when facing dangerous and unpredictable circumstances," he said. "We will also continue reviewing new technologies and best practices as they emerge."
In the past five years, Howard County has had more than 5,000 mental health emergency calls where the caller is threatening of harming themselves or others, according to Ball. He said in most cases, the caller ends up being taken to a safe location, like a hospital.
