BALTIMORE — Baltimore Police have released body camera footage in the fatal shooting of a 70-year-old woman, showing officers kicking down the door before unsuccessfully tasing and ultimately shooting and killing her.
The incident happened on June 25 after 2:30 p.m. when officers responded to the 2700 block of Mosher Street for two calls for service. One came in from a social worker who was doing a welfare check, and another from Pytorcarcha Brooks' son, who said she was attempting to stab him.
It was patrol officers who responded to the calls, not the city's Crisis Response Team, because the call was reporting a violent crime, not a behavioral health call. It's unclear why the CRT was not called.
Body camera footage shows the officers speaking to her son who gives them a key, before they attempt to speak to Brooks behind a closed back door for about 30 minutes.
At one point, officers are able to open the door when Brooks swings the knife, causing a commotion.
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Officers later decide to force themselves through the front door, ready to deploy a taser in order to subdue Brooks.
When asked if this followed the department's policy of deescalation when approaching someone in a mental health crisis, Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley did not respond directly.
"I think it was clear Ms. Brooks needed some assistance and it's all under investigation as to why it was breached at that time. Once we talk to everyone and the Attorney General does their investigation," he said."
Once inside, officers gave Brooks numerous commands to drop the knife, but she does not respond. Instead, the woman lunges at officers with the weapon, police say, while they were attempting to get her to the hospital.
Officer Stephen Colbert, an 8 year veteran of the department, fires a taser but it's "ineffective." The video shows Brooks fall to the couch momentarily, before popping back up with the knife.
As one of the involved officers tries to exit the house, he trips over a chair. While laying down, the woman lunges again, causing a second officer to fire two shots at the woman.
She was taken to the hospital where she later died.
The AG's office has also identified Officer Stephen Galewski was involved.
Baltimore Police report there have been more than 26 calls to the same house this year, including calls for behavioral health crises.
Police say they are currently auditing them.
"I think we've come a long way but this video clearly, and other videos throughout the country, has shown that we've got a long way to go dealing with behavioral crisis. Police officers are police officers. We give them the training that we can give them to deal with this, but behavioral health is a medical issue that we have to address. And people that aren't police officers have to help us address this," Worley said.
In April, a judge approved an eviction against Brooks for failure to pay rent.
Two weeks prior to the shooting, a Baltimore City Sheriff's deputy attempted to enforce that eviction.
When informed by Brook's son of her mental health struggles the eviction was paused, Assistant Sheriff Nicholas Blendy confirmed to WMAR-2 News.
Attempts were made to connect Brooks to resources by the department's social worker program, but were unsuccessful and the eviction was rescheduled for June 9. The same day the body camera footage was released.
To watch the video, click here.
Be warned, it is graphic.
