Body cam video shows deadly police shooting at Fort Washington Park
Body cam video shows deadly police shooting at Fort Washington Park
FORT WASHINGTON, Md. - The Maryland Attorney General's Office released body camera video Friday showing a deadly police shooting at Fort Washington Park involving Maryland-National Capital Park Police (MNCPP) in Prince George's County.
The AG's Independent Investigations Division (IID) is investigating the incident, as it does with all police-involved fatalities in the state.
What we know:
The preliminary investigation found that officers with MNCPP, along with officers from Prince George's County and U.S. Park Police, responded to reports of a shooting and a man walking near the river with a gun on July 31.
READ MORE | Maryland AG investigating deadly police shooting at Fort Washington Park
The video captures an MNCPP officer arriving on the scene along with others.
The officer stops to speak to a bystander, asking if she saw anyone firing a gun. The bystander tells the officer she did not see anyone, but she did hear gunshots.
The MNCPP officer eventually encounters the man, identified as 30-year-old Alex Charles of Fort Washington, near the river.
In the video, the officer is heard asking the man, several times to show his hands. Charles is seen holding a gun, and the officer commands him to "put it away," and "drop it" several times.
The MNCPP officer then fired his gun, hitting Charles, the video shows.
Officers began providing first aid. However, Charles died on the scene. A handgun was recovered near his body.
The involved officer has not been identified.
MNCPP responds
What they're saying:
"We support the release of the body worn camera footage because we recognize the public’s interest in understanding what occurred and we also believe transparency helps maintain public trust." MNCPP said in a statement.
"Use of force incidents, especially deadly use of force, can be concerning and difficult to process. We remain committed to transparency and accountability throughout this investigative process," the statement continued.
According to the AG's website, this is the first time MNCPP has been the subject of an IID investigation since the division was established in 2021 as part of police accountability reforms.
The investigation into this shooting is ongoing. Anyone with information or video is asked to contact the IID at (410) 576–7070 or by emailing IID@oag.maryland.gov.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division.