Family of Woodlawn man killed by Cheverly police chief demands justice

WOODLAWN, Md. (DC News Now) — The family of the man shot and killed by police Tuesday night in Woodlawn is demanding answers.

The Cheverly Police Department said its chief was the one who opened fire.

All day, the family of a 45-year-old man shot and killed by police in his own driveway gathered to comfort each other.

“We just want justice for our brother, and …Chief David Morris is going to pay for this,” one sister said.

Chief David Morris and other officers were investigating a stabbing that happened in Cheverly, according to the Cheverly Police Department.

They say they found a car on Greenland Street associated with the suspect in the stabbing, and that Chief Morris encountered a man outdoors, believed to be the suspect, who was armed with knives.

“He didn’t have anything on him,” another sister said.

Cheverly police said the suspect charged Chief Morris, who opened fire. They said two knives were recovered at the scene.

But the mother of the man who was shot said that’s not what happened.

“They put out the wrong thing. I was in front of my son, ok. Right where my son’s blood was, I was in front of my son. And the Cheverly man says, ‘Who are you?’ and I say, ‘I’m his mother.’ He’s not going to injure anybody. He said you in the white T-shirt, which he was right behind me, and he [started] pow pow when I was right here,” she described.

The man was a Metrobus driver with two little girls and was one of nine siblings. While police said he was an armed suspect, neighbors think differently.

“He’s not a person like that. He’s not a guy like that, no. He’s a very respectful gentleman,” said neighbor Grace Dempster.

Chief Morris was not injured and is on restricted duty status pending the outcome of the investigation.

The Maryland Office of the Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division is investigating.