FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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BALTIMORE, MD (October 2, 2026) – Today, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced his decision not to seek charges in the July 5, 2026 fatal police-involved shooting that occurred in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General found that the subject officers did not commit a crime under Maryland law.
On Sunday, July 5, 2026, at approximately 1:23 a.m., a Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) helicopter received a license plate reader alert for a black minivan that had been reported stolen during an armed carjacking on July 4, 2026, in Baltimore County. The minivan was located at the intersection of Riggs Avenue and Fulton Avenue in the city of Baltimore, where a BPD patrol officer attempted to block it with his patrol vehicle. The driver, later identified as Maurice Daniels, maneuvered around the patrol vehicle and fled the location. BPD officers, including Officers Charles Blackman, Al-Shakier Drake, Antonio Groomes, Darrius Hicklin, and David Weldon, and Sergeant Kevin Rivera, pursued the vehicle until it came to a stop in the 3300 block of Clifton Avenue in Baltimore City.
Multiple officers approached the minivan and ordered Daniels to exit the vehicle, but he did not comply. One officer, equipped with a window breaking tool, holstered his weapon and prepared to break the driver’s side window. At the same time, Officer Groomes approached the vehicle and reached for the driver’s side door handle in an attempt to open the door. Before Officer Groomes made contact with the door handle, he shouted, “Hands, hands, hands.” Daniels raised both hands in response. As Officer Groomes was issuing commands, Daniels began lowering his right hand. Officer Groomes yelled, “Gun, gun, gun.” The officer with the window breaking tool shattered the window, and the subject officers discharged their weapons, striking Daniels. A black BB pistol was recovered from Daniels’ right hand. Daniels was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased. No officers were injured during the incident.
The Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division (IID) began investigating the fatal police-involved shooting on Sunday, July 5, 2026, and concluded its investigation on September 24, 2026. After completing its investigation and evaluating all the available evidence, the Office of the Attorney General has determined that the subject officers did not commit a crime under Maryland law. Accordingly, the Attorney General has declined to prosecute the subject officers in this case.
A copy of the IID’s detailed investigative findings and analysis of relevant legal issues can be found in its declination report.
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