Families of Police Victims Push State Lawmakers for Change

9/23/20

By Rachel Baye, WYPR, BFBowl

State lawmakers heard hours of testimony Tuesday about a slate of Democratic proposals to reform policing in Maryland, in the first of three straight days of hearings on the topic. In addition to civil rights advocates, law enforcement leaders and elected officials, the state Senate Judicial Proceedings committee heard from several residents who spoke about fathers, sons and other family members killed by police in Maryland.

One of them was Tracy Shand, whose 49-year-old brother Leonard was shot and killed by police in Hyattsville almost exactly a year ago.

On Sept. 26, 2019, Leonard was standing in an apartment building parking lot, holding two knives. He reportedly told a police officer he was ready to “embrace death.” After 30 minutes of failed de-escalation efforts by officers from three different police agencies, 10 of those officers shot him.

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