AG’s Independent Investigations Division & MSP Investigating In-Custody Death at Centreville Barrack
An investigation is underway after a man in custody at the Maryland State Police barrack in Centreville died. Troopers made a traffic stop around 7:30 Friday night and arrested the driver for possession of a controlled substance. When he was arrested, the man was conscious, cooperative and responsive to questions, but a couple of hours later while in a cell – the driver showed signs of distress and became unresponsive. EMS took him to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. The investigation is being conducted by the Independent Investigations Division of the Office of the Attorney General and State Police.
During the 2021 Legislative Session, the Maryland General Assembly passed SB600, tasking the Office of Attorney General with conducting criminal investigations of all officer-involved fatalities beginning Oct. 1, 2021. These investigations are conducted by the office’s Independent Investigations Division (IID) in conjunction with the Maryland State Police.
Maryland State Police has issued a protocol for cases that involve state police personnel. Under those protocols, as soon as practicable after the department’s initial response, MSP will make every reasonable effort to staff the investigation with department personnel who are assigned to a different region of the state. Maryland State Police will also conduct a comprehensive inquiry to determine whether any MSP personnel involved in the investigation has a conflict of interest.
There is camera footage of some parts of the incident. According to state protocol, the IID will generally release camera footage within 14 days of an incident. There may be situations where more than 14 days is necessary, including if investigators need more time to complete witness interviews, if there are technical delays caused by the need to redact the identities of civilian witnesses, or to allow family members to view the video before it is released to the public. Further media inquiries will be handled by the Office of the Attorney General.
