‘So difficult to prevent’: Investigation underway after police shoot, kill man they say had a spear
The State Attorney General's Office is investigating after police fatally shot a man they say had a double-edged spear on June 9 night.
By Kim Dacey
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COLUMBIA, Maryland (WBAL) — The State Attorney General’s Office is investigating after police fatally shot a man they say had a double-edged spear on Monday night.
The shooting happened at Oakland Mills Road and Carters Lane in Columbia, police said.
“I saw a drone up in the sky. There were cops everywhere. I heard ‘Bang, bang, bang,’ and I ran back in the house,” said Paul Pardoe, a nearby resident.
Howard County police said it began with a 911 call from a home on Wilbur Court. A 26-year-old man said he had been stabbed multiple times by his brother.
“It must be really devastating for brother to attack brother. It’s just not heard of,” said Lena Carter, a nearby resident.
Two minutes later, the 23-year-old brother called 911 himself to report the stabbing. Police found him standing in the middle of Oakland Mills Road holding a large, double-edged spear, police said.
“Witnesses reported that the man started to come at the officer, toward the officer, with the spear. The officer drew his weapon, stepped back multiple times, directed for the suspect to drop the spear, and the suspect didn’t comply. The officer was forced to fire his weapon,” said Howard County police spokesperson Sherry Llewellyn.
The man died at the scene.
The brother, who was stabbed, was taken to shock trauma Monday night and remains in critical condition, police said Tuesday.
“I can’t imagine what the family’s going through,” Pardoe said. “Obviously, they were going through stuff before this, now look at it. What a mess.”
Because an officer is involved, the State Attorney General’s Office is investigating.
“Domestic situations are some of the toughest, because we know that they’re so difficult to prevent,” Llewellyn said. “The goal really is to try to preserve life and safety for everybody involved. In some situations, that’s not possible, and we’re sad that that’s what had to happen.”
Police are still working to determine the motive behind the initial stabbing inside the house.
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