BALTIMORE — On Thursday the Maryland Attorney General's Office released camera footage of an April deadly police involved shooting in Forest Hill.
The nearly 23 minute video shows an encounter between 53-year-old John Fauver and several Harford County Sheriff's deputies at a shopping center parking lot on Rock Spring Road.
Deputies were called to the location after receiving information that Fauver was suicidal and had access to firearms.
First on scene is sergeant Bradford Sives, who pulls up and sees Fauver driving his truck out of the lot.
The video is from the viewpoint of Sives.
Fauver refuses orders to get out of his truck and shouts an expletive before driving off, prompting Sives to fire multiple gunshots at the tires of Fauver's truck.
Seconds later Fauver stops at an adjacent parking lot, where deputies plead with him for several minutes to surrender.
At one point in the video, you can hear Fauver tell deputies to "get your snipers boys," all while reaching in different directions for something inside his truck.
Throughout the entire negotiation, Sives begs Fauver to end the situation peacefully.
"End this John just come into us," Sives is heard yelling.
Another time Sives screams "we're here to help you, dammit come on!" Sives indicates in the video that Fauver is on the phone, saying "goodbye to his old lady."
He directs one deputy on scene who appears to be familiar with Fauver, to "keep talking to him... you know him."
During the standoff, Sives inquires on whether anyone at the scene is equipped with a pepper ball or less lethal shotgun.
There is frequent mention of Fauver having a cane and potentially a gun.
At around 11:35 into the video, Fauver is outside speaking with deputies when he reaches for something inside his truck and points it at them.
Sives screams "it's a cane, it's a cane," before several gunshots ring out in the direction of Fauver. A ceasefire is then called immediately afterwards.
To view the full video, click here. Be warned it is graphic.
Fauver was struck and later died at the hospital.
An investigation revealed that it was Sives and corporal Christopher Maddox who fired.
The aftermath of the case became embroiled in controversy.
MORE: Lawsuit accuses Harford County Sheriff of interfering with deputy involved shooting investigation
Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh sued the Harford County Sheriff's Office, accusing them of interfering with his office's independent investigation into the shooting.
Frosh alleged that Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler refused to provide copies of body-worn and dash-board camera footage of the incident, and also prevented the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Unit from collecting evidence from the scene.
A judge ultimately ruled in favor of Frosh.
Maryland state law gives the Attorney General’s Independent Investigative Unit full authority to investigate all police involved civilian deaths, but not the power to prosecute officers. That decision ultimately lies with Harford County State's Attorney Albert Peisinger.
On June 29, before Frosh's office released any of their findings, Peisinger declined to file criminal charges against any of the officers involved, saying their actions were "necessary and proportional and not unreasonable under the circumstances."
Peisinger called it an "unfortunate incident as suicide by law enforcement."
Despite that, Frosh's office says they are still investigating and will submit their full report to Peisinger for further consideration.
In response to the video's release Peisinger said “The lawfulness of the deputies actions was obvious, and I found no reason to make our Harford County community wait for the Attorney General to come to the same conclusions that I did."
Peisinger added that should any new evidence be revealed his office would review it.
"Although we are aware that the IIU will produce a report, we do not anticipate that the report will contain any information that is any different than what was already reviewed," Peisinger said. "In the unlikely event that the Attorney General’s Office uncovers evidence contrary to what has already been examined, clearly, we will review that."
Update: The Attorney General’s Independent Investigative Unit released their final report on April 3, 2023. Like Peisinger, newly elected Harford County State’s Attorney Alison Healey also declined to charge the involved officers.
