The incident occurred in May, 2025 in downtown Frederick.
Frederick, Md (KM) The investigation continues by the Frederick Police Department into an officer-involved shooting in downtown Frederick.
On Monday, May 12th, in the 300 block of North Market Street, Corporal Gregory Morton was flagged down by a citizen concerning a man having a mental health crisis. Morton confronted the man who was armed with a knife. After repeated orders and a request to drop the knife, the man refused. Corporal Morton fired one shot, striking the man.
First aid was administered at the scene by police until medics arrived. The man was medivaced to a trauma center.
During a recent appearance on WFMD’s “Morning News Express,” Frederick Police Chief Jason Lando said it’s common practice for law enforcement agencies to call on another police department to investigate officer-involved shootings. “There’s no strict rule as to who should do. In this particular incident, it made sense. Our officers were not involved, and it is in our jurisdiction,” he said.
After this incident occurred, Chief Lando says he’s seen feedback about it on social media. “Oftentimes, it’s either like they just go toward supporting the police or right toward bashing the police,” he said. “And the only thing that we would say is give us that time to do the investigation. And if something didn’t go the way it should, I promise you there will be accountability.”
Because this was a man with a mental health crisis, Chief Lando was asked why wasn’t the Department’s Crisis Car brought to the scene. He said in some cases, the Crisis Car can be very helpful in diffusing a situation. “But that doesn’t mean that the individual in crisis is not dangerous in the given situation. And so there might times where the Crisis Car were to show up at a scene, and say ‘hey, this is an active threat event. We’re not able to deescalate this, and we need more traditional police response,'” says the Chief.
Meanwhile, prosecutors have decided not to file charges against Corporal Morton in this incident. They say his use of force was justified.
By Kevin McManus