Police fired 11 shots in fatal traffic stop

NAACP: Details so far ‘not quite right'

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009

By BETHANY RODGERS

Staff writer

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Warren

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A pair of sheriff's officers fired 11 rounds during a deadly confrontation with a Pisgah man at a traffic stop earlier this month, said county police Monday in a release that also identified the three officers on the scene.

Police had previously refused to release the names of officer Stephen Miller, Cpl. John Freeman and officer Eric Leukhardt until the resolution of an investigation into some alleged threats against them. While the inquiries haven't led to any arrests, the Charles County Sheriff's Office has "determined the threats no longer exist," said Diane Richardson, spokeswoman for the agency, in an interview Monday.

Authorities have discovered that officers fired a total of 11 shots in the incident, but police didn't say how many times Cornelius Warren was hit, adding that the results of his autopsy haven't been finalized. A police radio call shortly after the incident reported that the shooting victim had taken "four to the chest," but police would not confirm that that was an accurate characterization of Warren's wounds.

William Braxton, president of the Charles County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said he feels "something is not quite right" with the police investigation, pointing to the fact that the sheriff's office didn't initially report the number of shots discharged or the names of the officers involved. Braxton said after he speaks with an attorney for Warren's family, he is planning on taking action. The NAACP is planning a press conference for 5 p.m. Friday at the sheriff's office headquarters at 6915 Crain Highway in La Plata.

The afternoon of Oct. 2, police pulled over Warren and his passenger for speeding on Masons Spring Road in Pisgah, a stop that led to the search of his white Chevrolet Tahoe and uncovered a large amount of marijuana, according to sheriff's officers.

At some point, Warren tried to flee in the sport utility vehicle and began to struggle with sheriff's officers, police reported.

The shots were fired after Warren, 44, allegedly tried to grab an officer's unholstered gun, according to the report.

Although Miller, 39, a three-year sheriff's office veteran, Leukhardt, 35, an 11-year-veteran, and Freeman, 36, a 10-year veteran, were present at the shooting, only two of them discharged their weapons, according to police. The sheriff's office isn't identifying which officers participated in the shooting because the investigation is still ongoing, Richardson said.

Shortly after the incident, police reported that one of the officers who fired at Warren had been with the agency for three-and-a-half years, while the other joined the sheriff's office 10 years ago.

All three officers are on administrative leave in accordance with agency policy, police reported.

Warren's brother, Sherwin, declined to comment on Monday's release of information or on whether the family is planning any legal action against the sheriff's office.

brodgers@somdnews.com

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