State's Attorney Declines To Prosecute Officer For June 2022 Towson Shooting

TOWSON - The Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office has decided not to prosecute the Baltimore County Officer who shot a Towson man in June 2022, according to the Independent Investigations Division (IID).

What happened?

According to the IID’s investigative report, On June 4, 2022, Baltimore County officers responded to an apartment complex in the 500 block of Virginia Avenue in Towson for reports of a disturbance.

IID says that when officers arrived at the apartment complex, they could hear gunshots coming from inside the building. Officers entered the building and headed to the 11th floor, where the 911 call had been placed. Police say that officers located the apartment where the disturbance was reported and knocked on the door.

According to IID’s investigation, Joseph Robert Thompson answered the door while holding a handgun. Thompson “immediately” stepped through the doorway and fired his gun at the officers.

Officers Scott Johnson, Cody Klapka, and Robert Fitzgerald returned fire and struck Thompson. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

One officer suffered a gunshot wound to the hand and was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

IID says Officers found an adult woman inside the apartment suffering from gunshot wounds. She was taken to a local hospital and later released. An investigation determined that Mr. Thompson shot the woman.

The IID concluded its investigation on December 22, 2022, and forwarded its investigative report to the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office on December 27, 2022. The Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office notified the IID on January 13, 2023, of its decision not to prosecute the case.