Police continue to investigate the shooting of Korryn Gaines
The investigation of the August 1 Korryn Gaines shooting in Randallstown continues. The Homicide Unit conducts an independent criminal investigation of all police-involved shootings; that investigation is in progress. An administrative review -- conducted for all police-involved shootings -- also remains in progress.
After those investigations are complete, the case will be turned over to the Office of the State's Attorney for review. BCoPD's Shooting Review Board, which reviews all police-involved shootings, will examine the case for compliance with agency standards.
BCoPD offers the following updates:
Police Chief Jim Johnson has decided that -- because of serious safety concerns -- the department will not at this time release the name of the officer who fatally shot Gaines. BCoPD has received an unprecedented number of threats against police, including threats and actions against specific officers and officials. Gaines' ideology, consistent with anti-government sentiment, is also a concern. While Gaines does not appear to have been actively affiliated with any specific anti-government group, she identified and behaved as a "free person" who does not recognize governmental authority. Johnson said the current national climate is a third significant factor in his decision to withhold the officer's name at this time. The recent Dallas and Baton Rouge shootings, he said, show that "lone wolf" attacks by people emotionally caught up in current events are a real possibility. "We constantly balance the need for transparency with the need to protect investigations and safety. This is a situation where I feel we must err on the side of safety." BCoPD's standard procedure is to release the names of officers involved in shootings about 48 hours after the incident. This complies with terms of an agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #4, which specifies the delay to give officers and their families times to cope with the situation.
BCoPD has not yet determined whether the five-year-old, Kodi Gaines, was struck by a round and/or shrapnel from the officer's weapon or Gaines' Mossberg shotgun. They have not yet determined where the child was at the time of the shooting. These issues remain under investigation. This information will be provided when it becomes available.
Chief Johnson has completed a legal review of the entry by warrant service officers into Gaines' apartment in the unit block of Sulky Court. After consultation the State's Attorney and law enforcement attorneys, BCoPD has confirmed that the legal requirements for entry to serve an arrest warrant were met.
After multiple reviews, BCoPD has confirmed that there is no body camera footage filmed from inside the apartment or apartment building. (BCoPD's body camera program is less than a month old, and only about 40 of the 1,900 officers in the agency currently are equipped with them.) There is body camera footage from several officers assigned to support roles on the outside perimeter of the incident. This footage is part of the investigation and will not be released at this time.
There are no audiotapes of the negotiations with Gaines. In Maryland, the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Section 10-402 of the Annotated Code allows recording only in hostage situations. The child, Kodi Gaines, was not a hostage in this incident; the FBI defines "hostage" as a person held to fulfill a demand, and a threat of harm unless the demand is met. Though Kodi Gaines was not a hostage, police were concerned for his safety because of his mother's unusual erratic behavior; i.e., engaging police in an armed barricade with a five-year-old at her side and wielding a firearm in the vicinity of the child.