The suspect has been ordered held at a mental health facility.
Frederick County Court House
Frederick, Md (KM) The man charged with shooting two Frederick Police officers last year was found guilty but not criminally responsible. During a hearing Friday in Circuit Court, Judge Julie Stevenson Solt ruled that Dominique Lewis,27, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was guilty of shooting Officers Kristen Kowalsky and Bryan Snyder on February 11th, 2022. She ordered Lewis to be placed in a secure mental health facility until he’s deemed no longer a threat to the community or to himself.
Her actions followed a reading of the facts of the case in court.
A medical professional with the Maryland Department of Health had determined that Lewis’ mental state was so compromised and he didn’t know what he was doing when he shot Officers Snyder and Kowalsky. He had also been diagnosed with schizophrenia on two occasions in Virginia.
In February of last year, the two officers were dispatched to Key Parkway for a suspicious individual who was armed. . They approached Lewis who was sitting on an electrical box. At first, he ignored them, but then shot both of them. The two police officers returned fire.
All three were flown by State Police Medivac Helicopter to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore.
Frederick Police Chief Jason Lando said he was “disappointed” with Friday’s outcome. “I respect the legal process and I have tremendous respect for Judge Solt. However, I do question how a medical professional could possibly find Mr. Lewis not responsible for his actions in the case,” Chief Lando said in a statement. “Regardless of that, I know our team at FPD will continue to serve our community with honor. We have some of the best cops I have ever worked alongside, and Frederick is lucky to have Officers Snyder, Kowalsky and their peers protecting them.”
Also in his statement, Chief Lando said he will internally release the body worn camera footage from last year’s incident. . It will be reviewed by the officers before it’s released to the public. The Chief says the release to the public is expected to take place on Monday morning.
By Kevin McManus