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Lawyers for accused cop killer ask public to "suspend judgement"

Julius White
(l-r) Tanika Wilson, Attorney Warren Brown, Attorney J. Wyndal Gordon

Prominent Baltimore attorneys Warren Brown and J. Wyndal Gordon are teaming up to defend 16-year old Dawnta Harris, who's accused of running over Baltimore County police officer Amy Caprio earlier this week, killing her.

At a news conference Thursday, Brown  and Gordon both said [the public] be receptive to facts as emotions. With Harris' mother, Tanika Wilson sitting with them, Gordon and Brown urged the Baltimore County State's Attorney Office and Police Chief Terry Sheridan  to release Caprio's body worn camera video to show her encounrter with Harris.  "What this is a tragic accident, " said Gordon. It's not a Murder 1 case or Murder 2 case and what  Officer Caprio was called to investigate "amounted to a traffic stop." "

"What was in the officer's mind at the moment she deployed deadly force," asked Gordon. "What probable cause did she have to believe that this person was gonna do harm to her or some other individual in this residentisl district." Witnesses told police that upon her arrival on the scene, Caprio ordered Harris outo f the vehicle three times and after his refusal to comply, she fired a shot in his direction. Gordon said it was a that time that Harris--having a bullet whiz by his ear, he ducked down and his foot hit the gas as he was in fear of being shot, but it was not intentional when he hit and killed Officer Caprio.

Harris was a driving a vehicle that was a said to have been stolen, with three male passengers - 15-year old Derrick Matthews, 16 year old Darrell Ward,  and 17 year olf Eugene Genius, who were arraigned on murder and burglary charges. Investigators sat they were stealing from a homein Perry Hall. But Gordon said the three other juveniles did not tell Harris of their plans. "They intentionally left him in the dark," said Gordon. "[Harris] probably thought they were visiting girls."  Brown and Gordon said 16-year-old Dawnta Harris panicked when he saw Caprio and was trying to flee when he ran over her.

Caprio’s funeral service is scheduled for 10:00 Friday morning at Mountain Christian Church in Joppa.  Officer Caprio will be buried alongside other Maryland first responders who died in the line of duty at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens