Newly released body-worn camera footage shows a Baltimore County police corporal pleading with 21-year-old Sadie Holman as she sat inside her car moments before the shooting. The video, made public nearly a month after the September 3 shooting in Middle River, offers a look at the final exchange between Cpl. James Haddix and Holman before he opened fire.
The footage, released by the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division, captures Haddix attempting to negotiate with Holman in the moments before the shooting, according to Daily Voice. Holman was an active-duty U.S. Army specialist assigned to the 704th Military Intelligence Brigade at Fort Meade and lived in Odenton near the installation, according to Patch.
How the Encounter Unfolded
Baltimore County police officers were called to the area shortly after 6 a.m. on September 3 after receiving a report of an armed suspect wanted in an assault, locating Holman parked near the end of the 1000 block of Carroll Island Road in Middle River, per the same Daily Voice account. According to Fox45 News, officers engaged Holman as she sat in her vehicle, and she relinquished a knife to officers before producing a gun, at which point Haddix fired at her. Police rendered aid and Holman was taken to an area hospital with what was described as a potential life-threatening gunshot wound; a gun was later recovered inside her vehicle, per WBFF.
Early accounts from Baltimore County Police described Holman handing over a knife before drawing the firearm, while initial public releases from state investigators omitted the knife exchange and noted only that an officer had fired during the encounter, the Daily Voice report notes. Holman ultimately died from her injuries, according to Fox45 News.
Officer's Background and Administrative Status
Haddix is an eight-year veteran of the Baltimore County Police Department assigned to the agency's Operations Bureau, according to the Attorney General of Maryland. He was placed on administrative leave following the shooting, in keeping with department policy. The Independent Investigations Division confirmed Haddix was equipped with a body-worn camera that recorded the incident, and the agency said it continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
State Oversight and the Path to a Charging Decision
Under Maryland Code State Government Article § 6-602, the Independent Investigations Division holds primary authority to investigate all fatal law enforcement encounters across the state, per the Attorney General of Maryland's own procedural documentation. The division was created by 2021 legislation. The law shifted such investigations away from purely internal police probes in an effort to build public trust and investigative transparency.
State protocol generally calls for releasing body-worn camera footage within 14 to 20 days of an incident, though release timing depends on what the investigation allows, which helps explain why this video emerged nearly a month after the shooting. Once the division completes its probe, it will submit a comprehensive report to the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office, which holds sole authority to determine whether criminal charges against Haddix are warranted. The division compiles evidence but does not issue charging decisions itself.
Anyone with information related to the investigation can contact the Independent Investigations Division at 410-576-7070.
A Stretch of Road With a Recent Troubled History
The 1000 block of Carroll Island Road has drawn prior public-safety responses, including a July 2025 police response to a juvenile altercation and reported gunfire in the 100 block of the same roadway, as previously reported by Hoodline.
The Independent Investigations Division's review of the Holman shooting remains ongoing, and no charging decision has yet been announced.
