BALTIMORE, MD (March 26, 2023) – The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Office of the Attorney General is investigating a fatal crash that occurred following a police pursuit in Baltimore City late Saturday evening.
On March 25, at approximately 11:50 p.m., officers with the Baltimore Police Central District were on patrol and alerted to a wanted car in the area by a license plate reader. The car was wanted in reference to an armed robbery in Westminster, Maryland. Officers searching the area located the car in the 1000 block of West North Avenue and attempted to make a traffic stop. The driver of the car failed to stop, leading officers on a pursuit for several minutes. While fleeing, the driver lost control of the car and struck a parked car before crashing into a tree. The passenger, a woman, was pronounced dead on the scene. The driver, an adult male, suffered injuries and was taken to a local hospital. No officers were injured.
The IID will generally release the name of the decedent and involved officers within 48 hours of the incident, though that period may be extended if there is a specific reason to believe that an officer’s safety is at risk.
Baltimore Police cruisers are not equipped with dashboard cameras. The involved officers were wearing body-worn cameras. The IID will generally release body camera footage within 14 days of an incident. There may be situations where more than 14 days is necessary, including if investigators need more time to complete witness interviews, if there are technical delays caused by the need to shield the identities of civilian witnesses, or to allow family members to view the video before it is released to the public.
Pursuant to Maryland law, effective October 1, 2021, the Office of Attorney General (OAG) is required to investigate all police-involved fatalities in the State of Maryland. These investigations are conducted by the office’s Independent Investigations Division, in conjunction with the Maryland State Police. The OAG and Baltimore Police (BPD) have reached an agreement to allow for the Attorney General’s investigation while still allowing BPD to meet the investigatory obligations of its federal consent decree.
On March 25, at approximately 11:50 p.m., officers with the Baltimore Police Central District were on patrol and alerted to a wanted car in the area by a license plate reader. The car was wanted in reference to an armed robbery in Westminster, Maryland. Officers searching the area located the car in the 1000 block of West North Avenue and attempted to make a traffic stop. The driver of the car failed to stop, leading officers on a pursuit for several minutes. While fleeing, the driver lost control of the car and struck a parked car before crashing into a tree. The passenger, a woman, was pronounced dead on the scene. The driver, an adult male, suffered injuries and was taken to a local hospital. No officers were injured.
The IID will generally release the name of the decedent and involved officers within 48 hours of the incident, though that period may be extended if there is a specific reason to believe that an officer’s safety is at risk.
Baltimore Police cruisers are not equipped with dashboard cameras. The involved officers were wearing body-worn cameras. The IID will generally release body camera footage within 14 days of an incident. There may be situations where more than 14 days is necessary, including if investigators need more time to complete witness interviews, if there are technical delays caused by the need to shield the identities of civilian witnesses, or to allow family members to view the video before it is released to the public.
Pursuant to Maryland law, effective October 1, 2021, the Office of Attorney General (OAG) is required to investigate all police-involved fatalities in the State of Maryland. These investigations are conducted by the office’s Independent Investigations Division, in conjunction with the Maryland State Police. The OAG and Baltimore Police (BPD) have reached an agreement to allow for the Attorney General’s investigation while still allowing BPD to meet the investigatory obligations of its federal consent decree.