Maryland Audit Finds Racial Bias Misclassifies 41 Police Custody Deaths

An independent audit of Maryland's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) found significant racial and pro-police bias in the classification of deaths in police custody, with at least 41 cases that should have been ruled homicides but were not. The review, initiated after Dr. David Fowler's disputed testimony during the George Floyd trial, analyzed 87 deaths involving restraint between 2003 and 2019 and found that medical examiners were especially unlikely to classify deaths as homicides when the decedent was Black or died after police restraint. The audit revealed systemic deficiencies including reliance on the discredited diagnosis of "excited delirium," missing documentation, and incomplete incident information. Maryland Governor Wes Moore responded by signing an executive order to review these cases and establishing a statewide task force to study in-custody deaths and address systemic issues. Attorney General Anthony Brown emphasized that the findings highlight systemic problems rather than individual misconduct and called for reforms to ensure transparency, accountability, and equity in death investigations. The audit's recommendations include improving autopsy documentation and reevaluating cases for possible reopening and criminal investigation.