Chief: Officer shot senior citizen in self-defense

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Howard police officers shot an erratic 62-year-old Columbia woman armed with a knife at her senior citizen apartment complex in self-defense, the county police chief said Thursday.

“Preliminarily, it looks like our officers acted appropriately,” said Howard County Police Chief William McMahon at police headquarters Thursday.

“They were faced with a woman threatening them with a very large knife.”

Police said Pearl Harris went into her bedroom and returned waving a large knife at Officer Matthew Mehrer on Wednesday. A second officer, Pfc. Mark Baxter, ordered Harris to drop the knife, but she instead lunged at Mehrer. Baxter fired once, striking Harris in the hip, police said.

Harris was expected to be released Thursday from the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore City and transported to a psychiatric facility, police said.

Both officers have been placed on administrative leave while the internal investigation continues.

McMahon said the officers were not carrying Tasers, as the program is relatively new to Howard County and not all officers have been approved to carry them.

The officers were responding to a disturbance call about 4:20 p.m. from property managers at the Park View at Snowden River complex at 8610 Snowden River Parkway in Columbia.

“We noticed behavioral things she was doing, some actions and some words, like making threats about harming her ex-husband,” said Property Manager Michael Coles.

“When they mention acts of violence, our eyes open,” he said. “It was definitely a mental health issue.”

Coles said Harris’ daughter was asked to come to the complex and together they called police.

Police said they interviewed Harris at the hospital Wednesday but will not file charges until any necessary treatment is complete.

“Our concern is her physical health and the mental health evaluation being done,” McMahon said.

Residents of the typically quiet complex said they were initially alarmed by the loud shot about 4:30 p.m., but property managers calmed any safety concerns at a meeting Wednesday night.

Those who knew Harris described her as a sweet woman, not a violent person. Her family could not be reached for comment.

Baxter has been with the Police Department since 2001. Mehrer graduated from the police academy in February and is in his 11th week of field training. This is the county’s second police-involved shooting in just over three weeks.

An undercover narcotics officer accidentally shot two Jessup boys during a drug surveillance operation April 7. Police said one bullet struck Garcia Wilson, 15, in the arm and Dwayne Usery,14, in the abdomen. Both teens have returned home from the hospital, and the incident is still under investigation, police said.

cpeirce@baltimoreexaminer.com

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