BALTIMORE (June 23, 2022) – The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Office of Attorney General today released its investigative report of the December 29, 2021, fatal officer-involved shooting in Montgomery County.
On December 29 at 4:25 a.m., an off-duty Montgomery County police officer was alerted to a shooting in the 900 block of Bonifant Street in Silver Spring. The off-duty officer relayed a secondhand description of the suspect’s car to on-duty officers who were responding to the scene to assist. Minutes later, officers observed a car matching that description driving in the area of Wayne Avenue and Dartmouth Avenue in Silver Spring and made a traffic stop. Mr. Osman Sesay got out of the car contrary to officers’ orders and pointed a handgun at them. Four officers, Officers Lenhart, Dorsey, Tejada, and Kessler, fired at him. Mr. Sesay was pronounced dead on the scene. None of the officers were injured.
The IID concluded its investigation on May 16, 2022, and forwarded its investigative report to the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office on May 19. The Montgomery County State’s Attorney and the Howard County State’s Attorney have an agreement to review fatal police shootings in each other’s jurisdictions. The Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office notified the IID on June 9 of its decision not to prosecute this case.
The investigative report contains detailed investigative findings and an analysis of relevant legal issues. The report does not make any recommendations as to whether an officer should or should not be charged. A copy of the investigative report can be found here.
By law, the IID’s report must remain confidential until the State’s Attorney’s Office declines to prosecute or any related prosecution is completed. If the local State’s Attorney declines to prosecute, the IID will release the report, with appropriate redactions for confidentiality, within 30 days of that determination. If the local State’s Attorney decides to prosecute the matter, the IID will release the report, with appropriate redactions for confidentiality, within 30 days of a final judgement of all defendants in the case.
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On December 29 at 4:25 a.m., an off-duty Montgomery County police officer was alerted to a shooting in the 900 block of Bonifant Street in Silver Spring. The off-duty officer relayed a secondhand description of the suspect’s car to on-duty officers who were responding to the scene to assist. Minutes later, officers observed a car matching that description driving in the area of Wayne Avenue and Dartmouth Avenue in Silver Spring and made a traffic stop. Mr. Osman Sesay got out of the car contrary to officers’ orders and pointed a handgun at them. Four officers, Officers Lenhart, Dorsey, Tejada, and Kessler, fired at him. Mr. Sesay was pronounced dead on the scene. None of the officers were injured.
The IID concluded its investigation on May 16, 2022, and forwarded its investigative report to the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office on May 19. The Montgomery County State’s Attorney and the Howard County State’s Attorney have an agreement to review fatal police shootings in each other’s jurisdictions. The Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office notified the IID on June 9 of its decision not to prosecute this case.
The investigative report contains detailed investigative findings and an analysis of relevant legal issues. The report does not make any recommendations as to whether an officer should or should not be charged. A copy of the investigative report can be found here.
By law, the IID’s report must remain confidential until the State’s Attorney’s Office declines to prosecute or any related prosecution is completed. If the local State’s Attorney declines to prosecute, the IID will release the report, with appropriate redactions for confidentiality, within 30 days of that determination. If the local State’s Attorney decides to prosecute the matter, the IID will release the report, with appropriate redactions for confidentiality, within 30 days of a final judgement of all defendants in the case.
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