By WEAA News Staff
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has announced he will not seek charges against the Baltimore County police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Howard Sye in Essex last December.
According to the Attorney General's Office, the shooting occurred on the evening of Dec. 3, 2025, after a woman called 911 to report that her brother, Sye, had stabbed her at an apartment on the 900 block of Holgate Drive. When officers arrived, officials say they found Sye standing in the doorway of the apartment holding a knife.
Officers ordered Sye to drop the knife and put his hands up. According to investigators, he did not comply. As Sye stepped into the hallway, officials say one officer grabbed the hand holding the knife. Sye then turned and swung at the officer, pushing him backward toward a wall. According to the declination report, four officers opened fire, striking Sye approximately nine seconds after he opened the apartment door.
Officers provided medical aid until emergency medical services arrived. Sye was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Sye died from seventeen gunshot wounds. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.
The Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division opened its investigation the same night and concluded on March 16, 2026. After reviewing all available evidence, officials say the office determined the officers did not commit a crime under Maryland law.
This story was produced with AI assistance and edited by WEAA News Staff.
