Video shows man punch, bite officer before he’s fatally shot

CROFTON, Md. (AP) — Body camera video released by Maryland officials shows an unarmed 20-year-old man punch a police officer in the face and bite his finger before the man was fatally shot.

The Attorney General’s office on Tuesday released body camera video of the Jan. 30 incident. Officials said it began when a woman called 911 saying her son, Dyonta Quarles Jr., assaulted her and kept her from leaving her Crofton home, news outlets report. Responding Anne Arundel County police officers found Quarles’ mother locked in a bedroom with her son. Quarles initially complied with officers’ orders to get on the floor, but then got up.

After officers warned Quarles that they would use a stun gun, Quarles is seen charging Officer J. Ricci, striking him in the face several times and a stun gun is heard on the video. Ricci suffered a “traumatic brain injury and injuries to his face,” according to the attorney general’s office.

As officers handcuff Quarles, the video shows him struggle, then bite Ricci and another officer deploys a stun gun.

“Shoot him! Shoot him!” Ricci said, and he is seen firing with one hand stuck in Quarles’ mouth. Other officers can be heard telling Ricci to put his gun down and to breathe before he’s seen crawling away and falling to the ground.

Quarles died at the scene and Ricci was taken to a trauma center in serious condition, officials said.

The police department and the attorney general’s office declined to release Ricci’s first name. Ricci has been with the department for three years and has a total of 11 years of law enforcement experience, officials said. The police department and the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge declined to comment on the footage, citing the ongoing investigation.

The release of the video was delayed by more than a month to ensure witness’ interviews weren’t compromised by their viewing of external evidence, the Independent Investigations Division of the attorney general’s office said.

The attorney general’s office hasn’t completed its investigation.

Meanwhile, the Caucus of African American Leaders’ Public Safety Committee plans to review the footage and forward recommendations for policy changes to county officials.

“Our overarching goal is to bridge the relationship of community and police department, and criminal justice systems’ executives,” Joshua Hatch, who chairs the committee, told The Capital. Hatch plans to circulate the camera footage “as a priority” to hear policy recommendations from the group, which aims to “be a mediator.”

https://apnews.com/article/business-police-maryland-172242d5fd91567e55e4752271bb550e

And here for more

https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/arundel-man-killed-in-police-shooting-punched-bit-officer-before-being-shot-video-shows