Sheriff Bashes State's Handling Of Officer-Involved Shooting Report

 

Harford County, Md — Harford County Sheriff Jeff Gahler Has Spoken Out About The Handling Of An Officer-involved Shooting In The Parking Lot Behind Chopstix In Forest Hill A Year Ago, Criticizing The Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigation Division.

The Iid Recently Released Its 48-page Report Addressing The Officer-involved Shooting Death Of A Suicidal Man, 53-year-old John Fauver.

Gahler's 10-minute-long Video Statement Published On The Harford County Sheriff's Facebook Page Detailed Several Of His Concerns Regarding How The State Report Was Filed. He Questioned The Report's Quality And Accuracy, Saying It "Calls Into Question The Iid's Ability And Independent, Transparent Or Accurate And Unbiased Investigation That The Public Can Trust.

"Very Telling And Troubling Is The Fact That Each Deputy In This Investigation Is Looked At In A Different Manner At The Time Of The Fatal Shooting," Gahler Said. "The Purpose In The Less Specific Description Is Clear: To Bias Or Mislead The Reader. Most Egregious — And Certainly Most Unacceptable In This Report — Is The Absolute Lack Of Reference To The Criminal Actions That Led Up To This Deadly Encounter."

Deputies Found Fauver Sitting In A Truck In The Parking Lot In The 1500 Block Of Rock Spring Road In Forest Hill. According To The Maryland Attorney General's Office, Sgt. Bradford Sives Got Out Of His Patrol Car And Ordered Fauver Out Of His Truck At Gunpoint. But Fauver Drove Away And Sives Fired His Gun Multiple Times At The Truck’s Tires.

Fauver Kept Driving And Stopped In An Adjacent Area In The Parking Lot, According To The Police Department.

After Several Minutes, Fauver Got Out Of His Truck And Talked To The Deputies. But Then Fauver Grabbed An Item From His Truck And Pointed It At Deputies. Corporal Christopher Maddox And Sives Both Fired Their Firearms, According To The Police Department.

Only The Shots From Sives’ Shotgun Hit Fauver. A Medical Walking Cane Was Found Near Fauver, Who Later Died At An Area Hospital, According To The Police Department,. Videos From The Incident Were Taken From Multiple Vantage Points Via Dashboard Cameras And Body Cameras.

On April 25, 2022, The Attorney General’s Office Filed Suit In Harford County Circuit Court Requesting A Temporary Restraining Order And Preliminary Injunction To Stop The Harford County Sheriff ’s Office From Interfering With The Office's Independent Investigations Division's Review In Violation Of State Law.

Three Days Later, Following A Hearing On The Matter, A Judge Granted The Attorney General’s Request For A Temporary Restraining Order That Instructed The Harford County Sheriff ’s Office To Immediately Turn Over All Evidence To The Iid.

On June 29, 2022, Former Harford County State’s Attorney Albert Peisinger Said He Was Declining To Prosecute The Case. The Iid Wrapped Up Its Investigation Nov. 21, 2022, And Shared Its Report With The Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office Nov. 23, 2022. Current Harford County State’s Attorney Alison Healey Notified The Iid On March 27, 2023, Of Her Decision Not To Prosecute The Case.

The Sheriff Also Said His Office Did Not Refuse To Cooperate With The Investigation.

"The Fact That The Iid Report States Very Clearly That Their Investigators Were Prevented From Viewing Any Body Camera Or Other Video Footage Recovered By The Harford County Sheriff's Office … Is Not A Simple Mistake, But Rather A Mischaracterization Of Reality," Gahler Said. "As I've Said For Nearly A Year, It's The Duty And Function Of Local Law Enforcement To Investigate Potential Crime Or Criminal Acts That Occur Within The Boundaries Of Our County And Which Are Absolutely Outside The Purview Of Iid."

The Office Of Attorney General Anthony Brown Responded To Gahler's Video And Accusations, Noting That The Iid's Investigation Was Conducted With "Great Care."

"The Office Of The Attorney General Treats The Authority Granted To Us By The Maryland General Assembly With Great Care, Integrity And Professionalism," Jennifer Donelan, Spokesperson For The State Attorney General's Office, Said In A Statement Shared By Cbs Baltimore. "We Have Been Entrusted By The People Of The State To Remain Steadfast In That Commitment."

Donelan Also Noted That A Harford County Judge Had Previously Ruled Against Gahler's Concerns Expressed With Iid's Investigative Process, Cbs Baltimore Reported.

"The Sheriff Had The Ability To Appeal That Ruling But Did Not," She Said.