Attorney General Brown announces that no charges will be filed in the fatal incident in police custody on February 16, 2024 in Prince George's County

BALTIMORE, MD – Yesterday, Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced his decision not to file charges in the fatal incident in police custody on February 16, 2024 in Prince George's County, Maryland.

On Friday, February 16, 2024, at approximately 7:56 p.m., a Prince George's County Police Department (PGPD) officer, responding to 911 calls for an unknown male, encountered door knocking on the 10700 block of Lake Arbor Way in Largo, Maryland the neighborhood. The officer encountered an adult male, later identified as Joseph Holmes, walking in the middle of the roadway. The officer asked Mr. Holmes if he was OK and advised him to sit nearby. Mr. Holmes then lay down on a grass and, based on his interactions with Mr. Holmes, the officer requested an ambulance. A second PGPD officer arrived and the two officers determined that Mr. Holmes would be taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation. An off-duty Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) officer and a third PGPD officer arrived and began assisting Mr. Holmes, who was handcuffed in preparation for hospital transport. At around 8:10 p.m., Mr. Holmes went into medical distress and was no longer responsive. Officers immediately began providing medical aid and removed the handcuffs. An emergency medical team arrived and took over resuscitation measures. A short time later, Mr. Holmes was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division (IID) began investigating the fatal in-custody incident on February 16, 2024 and completed its investigation on October 17, 2024. It has determined that none of the officers involved in the fatal in-custody incident committed a crime committed Maryland law. Accordingly, the Attorney General has declined to prosecute any of the officers in this case.

A copy of the IID's detailed investigation findings and analysis of relevant legal issues can be found in its denial report here:

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