Bodycam video released in fatal Baltimore police shooting of 70-year-old woman

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Baltimore, MD - Baltimore police released new body camera video that shows the moments leading up to the fatal police shooting of a 70-year-old woman wielding a knife.

State investigators and city police said officers responding to a behavioral health crisis on June 25 shot and killed Pytorcarcha Brooks after she lunged with a knife at an officer who had fallen while trying to exit her house on Mosher Street.

The bodycam video shows officers knocking on both the front and back doors multiple times while speaking with relatives and asking Brooks to come to the door.

“In the video, you will see the officers speaking with a family member, then attempt to get Ms. Brooks to open the rear door. Officers used a key provided by the family to open the door (before) Brooks’ door closed,” Deputy Police Commissioner Brian Nadeau said.

The video showed, at one point, the front door cracked open, and the video shows Brooks’ arm come out with a knife in hand as she makes a stabbing motion.

The officers soon kicked in the door, telling Brooks to drop the knife. She did not comply, and the officers stunned her using a Taser. Brooks then fell onto a couch before standing back up.

The video then shows an officer backing up and falling backwards over a chair in the hallway. Brooks is then seen going toward him, hovering over him with a knife.

A second officer shot Brooks three times while a trainee deployed a Taser.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said the officers were trying to get into the house for Brooks’ safety after police received multiple 911 calls. On this day, it was 97 degrees, her air conditioning did not work and there was an odor coming from the home, police said. Officials said the officers were trying to take Brooks to a hospital for treatment.

All of the officers have received some behavioral health response training, 11 News was told. When 11 News asked why a crisis-response team was not called, the police commissioner said it’s because of how the call came in, as a person with a knife.

Worley admitted the police department has work to do, and said an investigation into the response continues.

“I think we’ve come a long way, but this video, other videos, clearly — not just here, but around the country — got a long way to go to deal with behavioral crises,” Worley said.

Police received more than 20 calls to Brooks’ house since January, many for behavioral health crises. The calls on June 25 came from a social worker concerned for Brooks and a relative who said Brooks was trying to stab him.