Advocates call for probe into law enforcement's handling of death investigations after review of Maryland autopsies
Advocates are calling for an investigation into how law enforcement handled death investigations after an audit of Maryland's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) found that some police custody deaths were misclassified.
Members of Community Actively Seeking Transparency (CAST) and the Anne Arundel County NAACP are asking state leaders to determine if the mishandling of those cases could be considered obstruction of justice.
The two groups will hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Review of Maryland medical examiner's office
The independent review looked at more than 85 cases that were completed when the office was under the guidance of former Chief Medical Examiner Dr. David Fowler.
In 44 of those cases, the auditors disagreed with the determined manner of death. Reviewers instead found that many of the cases should have been ruled as homicides.
The audit found patterns of possible racial disparities, Maryland Attorney General Brown said. According to the review, deaths that involved Black people or individuals who were restrained by police were less likely to be ruled as homicides.
The audit also found that some of the case reports did not include full details and failed to document injuries connected to police restraints.
Maryland Gov. Moore pushes for further investigation
After the audit was released, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore created a task force to improve how police custody deaths are investigated.
The Maryland Task Force on In-Custody Restraint-Related Death Investigations includes government officials, forensic experts, law enforcement and legal professionals.
The group was asked to recommend oversight processes for future investigations and consider if more audits are needed.
The governor's executive order also directs the Department of Health and the Medical Examiner's Office to report on their progress in implementing recommended changes.
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