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Prosecutors won’t charge officer who shot woman
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Related Topics: BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - No charges will be filed against the Howard police officer who shot a Columbia woman after she allegedly lunged at the officer’s partner with a knife, the Howard State’s Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.
“Based on this review and the applicable law, we have concluded that [Officer] Mark Baxter was justified in his use of deadly force given the facts and circumstances,” wrote State’s Attorney Dario Broccolino in a Tuesday memorandum to Police Chief William McMahon.
“Therefore, no charges will be brought by this office, and we consider the matter closed.”
McMahon said Wednesday, “This finding reinforced that our officers acted appropriately when faced with a serious threat.”
Police said the officers were called April 30 to a senior citizen apartment complex on the 8600 block of Snowden River Parkway by a property manager who was concerned that Pearl Harris, 62, was threatening to harm her husband and others.
When police confronted Harris in the third-floor hallway, she went into her apartment and retrieved a large kitchen knife, police said.
Harris was waving the knife at Officer Matthew Mehrer, police said.
Baxter ordered Harris to drop the knife; instead, she lunged at Mehrer.
Baxter fired once, striking Harris in the hip, police said.
Harris was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore City and taken to a psychiatric facility.
A Howard grand jury indicted Harris this past month on attempted first- and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and reckless endangerment charges.
She is being held without bail at the Howard County Detention Center.
The officers were placed on administrative leave during the investigation.
“While the police department is still finishing the administrative review, we have every reason to believe that the findings will echo those in the criminal review,” McMahon said.
Baxter has been with the police department since 2001.
Mehrer graduated from the police academy in February and was in his 11th week of field training during the incident.
Harris’ next court appearance is a scheduling conference Thursday.
cpeirce@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
11:29 AM MST on Fri., Jul. 11, 2008 re: "Prosecutors won’t charge officer who shot woman"
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4:58 AM MST on Fri., May. 2, 2008
re: "Chief: Officer shot senior citizen in self-defense"
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4:28 AM MST on Fri., May. 2, 2008
re: "Chief: Officer shot senior citizen in self-defense"
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2:24 AM MST on Fri., May. 2, 2008
re: "Chief: Officer shot senior citizen in self-defense"
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Examiner Reader said:
You know people who arent police really kill me--like an elderly person cant kill you or something! why didn't they shoot her in the leg or foot? Stop coming at police with weapons (guns, knives, cars, etc) and you wont get shot and maybe killed. People only want justice when they are the victim of a crime then they want the book thrown at criminals!
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Liberal Joe said:
Ban Guns ,they kill.
1 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Nice choice of words for our title. Always looking for an angle. A more appropriate title would have been, "Veteran Officer Saves Partners Life"
5 agree | 1 disagree
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The Traveler said:
It should not matter what sex, how old, or how big an armed subject is, when they are a threat to a cop's life, this is what should have been done. The family should blame themselves for not having her in a place to get the help that she so desperately needed. The officer that fired his weapon is nothing short of a hero, he obviously saved his "rookie" partners life. By the way, getting stabbed or cut is worse than being shot. The blood loss is usually much more severe. I hope this woman makes a full recovery, and then goes to a proper institution to get the help that she needs. The next time we read about Officer Baxter, should be in the program at the awards ceremony when he recieves his MEDAL OF VALOR.
7 agree | 1 disagree
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