An investigation found their actions to be ‘justified.’
Frederick, Md (KM) Two Frederick County Sheriff’s Deputies involved in a police shooting in October will not be facing criminal charges. That’s according to State’s Attorney Charlie Smith, who says his office conducted a thorough investigation of the incident along Silo Hill Road in Emmitsburg, where Bryan Selmer was fatally shot.
He says the deputies’ actions were justified. “The standards set forth by the Supreme Court is whether they were objectively reasonable. In other words, would a reasonable police officer in their shoes have done the same thing. So therefore, we determined it was objectively reasonable, “says Smith.
He says all information gathered from the scene was examined, including. “the belief that Bryan Selmer was armed and dangerous, including the belief that he was pointing a firearm at the officers. So based upon that, we decided that it was a non-criminal event.” says Smith.
Even though they won’t be facing criminal charges, Smith says this conclusion from the investigation does not limit administrative action by the Sheriff’s Office. “We don’t opine in terms of whether it’s any civil liability or whether they’ve breached any other standards, although we consider those,” he says. “So this is strictly a finding that no charges will be placed against these two Frederick County Sheriff’s Deputies.”
Selmer was shot following a vehicle pursuit that began in Pennsylvania. State Police there said troopers were after a suspect in an attempted murder identified as David Robert Leatherman. He was apprehended after his vehicle wrecked along Route 15 near Route 140.
Selmer, who was also in the vehicle with Leatherman, fled from the scene. He stopped near the Exxon station on Silo Hill Parkway, where he took a shooting stance, and held his hands together as if he had weapon. Deputies fired on Selmer They administered first aid before he was flown out by Maryland State Police helicopter to Shock Trauma, where he died.
By Kevin McManus