Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has decided his office will not bring criminal charges against the Baltimore police officers who shot and killed 70-year-old Pytorcarcha Brooks during a welfare check and behavioral-health response on June 25, 2025, in the 2700 block of Mosher Street. According to the Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division, officers found Brooks inside her home holding a knife, tried to use a taser that failed to stop her, and a second officer opened fire after a colleague stumbled while backing away.
IID's declination and legal reasoning
The Independent Investigations Division laid out its decision in a 14-page declination report, concluding there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the subject officers committed a crime, so the office declined to prosecute, according to the Office of the Attorney General. The report identifies Officers Stephen Galewski and Stephen Colbert as the subject officers and recounts that Galewski’s taser struck Brooks but did not incapacitate her. It states that Colbert fired his weapon after Galewski fell and Brooks advanced. In its legal analysis, the IID says it could not overcome the elements of “defense of others,” which formed the basis for the conclusion not to pursue homicide charges.
How investigators say the encounter unfolded
Local coverage summarizing the Attorney General’s findings reports that a Maryland Department of Human Services social worker and a family member went to Brooks’s home before police arrived, and relatives told officers she had been refusing medication and had attempted to stab the family member, according to Fox Baltimore. That account, consistent with the IID narrative, says medics initially tried to evaluate Brooks at the doorway, but officers later entered through the front of the house. The confrontation escalated when Brooks allegedly brandished a knife and lunged after the taser deployment failed.
Body camera, neighbors and reaction
Baltimore police released body-worn camera footage in July 2025 that captures the attempted taser use, an officer falling, and the seconds just before the shots were fired. The release sparked questions from relatives and neighbors about whether the deadly outcome could have been avoided, according to CBS Baltimore. Hoodline first reported on the killing last June in a piece headlined “70-Year-Old Woman Fatally Shot,” noting repeated calls to the address and community unease in the days after the shooting.
What the decision means legally
The IID’s role is criminal only. Its report explains that the division evaluates whether officers committed crimes and does not determine civil liability or department discipline, according to the Office of the Attorney General. Critics have highlighted what they describe as a pattern of declinations in fatal police investigations, a trend detailed in reporting by Baltimore Beat, and advocates continue to push for policy and training changes on behavioral-health calls.
What's next for the family and the city
The declination closes the door on criminal prosecution but leaves civil lawsuits and administrative reviews on the table for the family and for city oversight bodies. When the shooting first became public, the officer who fired was placed on paid administrative leave, according to CBS Baltimore, and officials say reviews of training and response protocols are continuing.
