Man wielding double-edged spear killed by police after reportedly stabbing brother in Maryland

By Adam Thompson

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    COUMBIA, Maryland (WJZ) — A 23-year-old man wielding a large double-edged spear was shot and killed by officers after he reportedly stabbed his brother Monday evening in Maryland, according to Howard County Police.

Police said a 26-year-old man reported that he was stabbed multiple times at a home on Wilbur Court in Columbia.

A few minutes later, the 23-year-old admitted to 911 dispatchers that he stabbed his brother, according to Howard County police spokesperson Sherry Llewellyn.

Spear recovered after shooting:

Police located the man with the spear in the middle of Oakland Mills Road. Witnesses told police they saw the man approach an officer with the spear.

The man didn’t comply with orders and was shot by an officer, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and the spear was recovered. Police believe the spear was used to stab his brother.

No officers were injured. The 26-year-old was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Police are investigating the cause of the stabbing. The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office is investigating the shooting involving the police officer.

“Domestic situations are some of the toughest because we know they are so difficult to prevent,” Llewellyn said. “The goal is to try and preserve life and safety for everyone involved. In some situations, that’s not possible, and we are sad that’s what happened tonight.”

Recent shootings involving police officers:

There have been several shootings involving police officers in the Baltimore area recently.

On May 18, 43-year-old Glenn Pettie was shot and killed during a mental health response by officers in Dundalk in Baltimore County, officers said.

Two officers went to a home in the 8200 block of North Boundary Road. An officer walked to the alley behind the home.

That’s when Pettie allegedly exchanged gunfire with the officer. Pettie was shot and taken to the hospital, where he died, according to the IID investigation.

A loaded handgun was found with Pettie, according to police. Neighbors told WJZ that Pettie’s mother called 911 for officers to de-escalate the mental health crisis.

There have been five shootings involving Baltimore County police in 2025.

Call for probe into in-custody deaths:

In May, advocates demanded an investigation into how law enforcement handles death investigations after an audit of Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) found that some police custody deaths were misclassified.

According to the independent review, more than 85 completed cases under the guidance of former Chief Medical Examiner Dr. David Fowler were reviewed.

In 44 of those cases, the auditors disagreed with the determined manner of death. The report found that many of those cases should have been investigated as homicides.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said the audit found patterns of possible racial disparities. According to the review, deaths that involved Black people or individuals who were restrained by police were less likely to be ruled as homicides.

The audit also found that some of the case reports did not include full details and failed to document injuries connected to police restraints.

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