Man fatally shot by police after confronting officers with knife in columbia

COLUMBIA, MD – The Howard County Police Department is releasing preliminary details after officers fatally shot a man early Sunday morning during a confrontation outside an apartment building in Columbia.

Key Points

Police responded just after midnight to reports of a suicidal man on Freetown Road
The man approached officers with a knife and ignored commands to drop it
The Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division has taken over the case

Officers respond to welfare call

Police say that around 12:09 a.m. Sunday, officers were dispatched to the 6400 block of Freetown Road for a report of a man threatening to harm himself. When officers arrived, they encountered the individual outside the apartment complex at approximately 12:22 a.m.

According to investigators, the man approached officers while holding a knife and refused repeated orders to drop the weapon. Officers then discharged their firearms.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene after officers attempted lifesaving measures. His identity has not yet been released. No officers were injured during the incident.

State investigation underway

Under Maryland law, any police-involved fatal shooting is investigated by the Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division (IID). That office has assumed responsibility for the case and will release additional details as the investigation continues.

Howard County Police have referred all further media inquiries to the IID.

Tags: columbia, howard county, police shooting

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