July 7, 2026:  In light of today’s announcement that the Howard County police officers involved in the March 1 shooting death of Alex LaMorie will not face criminal charges, we are disappointed that the individuals responsible will not be held accountable.

This is a heartbreaking outcome for Alex’s family and our community.

According to the report issued today by the Independent Investigations Division of the Office of the Attorney General, Alex called the police to report a crime of which he was a victim, and the responding officers knew that he was experiencing a mental health crisis. However, they used lethal force to manage the crisis.

While it is difficult to understand, based on the circumstances of the events of the night, how his death was “justified,” we will accept but respectfully disagree with the decision and continue our work to ensure that Alex did not die in vain.  We will also continue to support Alex’s mother, Dr. Jill Harrington, in her quest to have all details from the events made public, including ALL of the video footage capturing the incident, and the time before it.

Since Alex’s death, the Autism Society of Maryland has taken a leadership role in understanding and reforming police practices when responding to individuals with autism and other intellectual disabilities. We will continue our work to help build a community safer for individuals with disabilities, free of incidents like the one that ended Alex’s life.

CLICK for link to the Attorney General of Maryland’s report

For more information on this statement: Melissa.Roseberg@autismsocietymd.org or 410-290-3466