COLUMBIA, Md. — The deadly shooting of a man outside of a brand-new apartment complex is now the fourth fatal officer-involved shooting in Maryland this year so far.
WATCH: Neighbors react to police shooting at complex for disabled adults
Last week, Baltimore City police shot and killed 37-year-old Dwight Hawkins outside of a liquor store.
Sunday's incident happened just feet from the door of the Patuxent Commons, a building intended to provide “safe, affordable, and inclusive apartments” especially for the disabled community. 25% of the units are set aside for adults with disabilities.
The apartments are a project headed by the Mission First Housing Group and the Autism Society of Maryland, and only opened a few months ago.
“[We] deeply mourn this loss. This is a disturbingly tragic event, and we have been in touch with the family to express our deepest sorrow and offer support,” the groups shared in a joint-statement to WMAR-2 News.
Just after midnight on Sunday morning, a resident called 911 threatening to harm himself. Just minutes later, it’d cost him his life.
Howard County police responded to the scene, but could not find the caller inside.
Returning to the parking lot only minutes later, around 12:22 a.m. they were approached by a man holding a knife, who according to investigators continued to walk towards them and did not drop the weapon in his hand despite “multiple commands” to do so.
Three officers discharged their weapons, hitting and killing the man. A neighbor reports hearing around five shots.
“Columbia's a beautiful place and I just can't understand how something like this tragically happened to a person that doesn't, have his stuff right far as… mental-wise,” a neighbor who spoke on the condition of anonymity said.
They also wondered, why non-lethal force did not appear to have been used in this case.
“That would have been my first instinct you know what I mean? Use a taser. But I believe the officer probably was a little afraid for his life as well. But that's why they've got tasers. You use tasers first,” the neighbor said.
According to HCPD's use-of-force policy "[o]fficers are taught to only use or escalate force as absolutely necessary to ensure safety, not to inflict harm, and stop IMMEDIATELY when the threat is over. Deadly force may ONLY be used when an officer's life or the lives of others are in imminent danger."
Longtime residents of the area found an incident of this nature to be unusual.
“I was just kind of surprised at that. I’m sorry that it happened,”Aber said.“I wonder why they didn't bring out like a mental health team with them."
The three officers have been placed on administrative leave, per department protocol.
State investigators with the Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division (IID) will determine if the shooting was justified. The identity of the man who was killed has not yet been released.
“It needs to be investigated to the fullest,” the anonymous neighbor said.
Mission First and AUSOM report their first focus its to support residents and staff “who are experiencing shock, grief and trauma.” Staff members were on site Sunday and grief counselors will be in the community on Monday, March 1 to respond to concerns and offer support.