Deceased and Officers Identified in Fatal Police Shooting in Frederick

FREDERICK, MD News (3/7/2023) – The Independent Investigations Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General has identified the decedent and involved officers in the fatal shooting that occurred on March 4 in Frederick.

The decedent has been identified as 44-year-old Joseph Sherrill, of Frederick, Maryland.

The involved Frederick Police officers have been identified as Officers Robert Hess and Fahad Mirza. Officer Hess is a 5.5-year veteran and Officer Mirza has been with the department for 8 months. Both officers are assigned to the patrol division.

The Independent Investigations Division continues to investigate the circumstances of the fatal shooting.

On March 4, at approximately 6:20 p.m., officers with the Frederick Police Department were dispatched to an apartment in the 1500 block of N. East Street to find Sherrill with an open probation violation warrant who was believed to be at that location. When the officers arrived, the apartment’s resident denied that Sherrill was present, but allowed officers to come inside and search for him. Inside the apartment, one officer found Sherrill hiding in a bedroom closet and armed with a knife. Officers began speaking with Sherrill, giving him commands to “drop the knife,” while backing away from him into the apartment’s living room. Sherrill then rapidly moved toward one of the officers with the knife held out in front of him. At that point, two of the officers discharged their firearms, striking Sherrill. Officers called for EMS and performed CPR, and Sherrill was later pronounced dead on scene. A knife was recovered near Sherrill at the shooting scene. No officers were injured.

All of the officers on scene were equipped with body-worn cameras, which recorded the incident. The Independent Investigations Division will generally release body camera footage within 14 days of an incident. There may be situations where more than 14 days is necessary, including if investigators need more time to complete witness interviews, if there are technical delays caused by the need to shield the identities of civilian witnesses, or to allow family members to view the video before it is released to the public.

Original article by Maryland Attorney General’s Office