Attorney General Brown Will Not File Charges in May 2024 Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting

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The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General announced April 11 that Attorney General Anthony G. Brown decided not to file charges in the fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred on May 24, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland.

On May 24, 2024, at approximately 10:25 p.m., Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers were searching for Anthony Ferguson, a person of interest in a crime from May 20, 2024, in the 3400 block of South Hanover Street. Ferguson was found sitting on a porch of a vacant commercial building at South Hanover Street and Baltic Avenue.

Four officers approached Ferguson to question him and searched his backpack. Ferguson then revealed a gun in his waistband. Despite verbal commands from a fifth officer to drop the weapon, reached for it and exchanged gunfire with the officers.

Ferguson was struck multiple times and later pronounced dead at a local hospital. An officer’s bulletproof vest was shot, and he was transported to an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

The IID began its investigation the same day and concluded April 7. After reviewing all evidence, the Office of the Attorney General determined that the officers involved did not commit a crime under Maryland law. The Attorney General declined to prosecute any of the officers in the case.

A detailed report of the IID’s findings and legal analysis is available in its declination report.