Full report of officer-involved shooting released as state decides not to prosecute

Posted 9/1/22

BALTIMORE — The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Office of Attorney General has released its investigative report of the April 25, 2022, fatal officer-involved shooting south of …

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Full report of officer-involved shooting released as state decides not to prosecute

Posted

BALTIMORE — The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Office of Attorney General has released its investigative report of the April 25, 2022, fatal officer-involved shooting south of Princess Anne after the Somerset County State’s Attorney’s Office decided it would not prosecute anyone in this case.

The investigative report contains detailed investigative findings and an analysis of relevant legal issues surrounding the shooting of William Robert Brink, 24, of Salisbury. It is online at https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/IID/Reports/083122_IID_Report.pdf.

In brief the investigation shows that on April 25 shortly before noon, Somerset County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) deputies responded to a 911 call from the Dash-In convenience store in Westover. The caller reported that a man, later identified as Brink, had pointed a handgun at him and demanded money before fleeing the area.

Shortly thereafter, approximately two miles away, SCSO Sgt. Kevin Goepfert located Brink. During that encounter, Brink and Sgt. Goepfert both fired their handguns. Brink then fled toward a nearby field, near the intersection of U.S. 13 and Perry Road. Additional officers from the Sheriff’s Office, the Maryland State Police, and the Princess Anne Police Department responded to the area to assist.

When officers located Brink, he fired his handgun again, shooting himself in the chin. Brink initially fell but stood back up several seconds later. SCSO DFC Anthony Jackson and MSP Cpl. Jason Dykes then discharged their firearms, and Brink was struck twice. He was taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead. No one else was injured.

The IID completed its investigation on Aug. 2 and forwarded the report to State’s Attorney Wess Garner the next day. On Aug. 12 Garner advised the IID there was no plan to prosecute the matter so by law the IID was required to release its report with redactions for confidentiality within 30 days of that determination.

The report is fact-based and makes no recommendation on how the state should or should not proceed. Body camera video is online https://youtu.be/dUqEvXnnqh4.

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