BALTIMORE, Md. — The family of Alex LaMorie, an autistic man fatally shot by Howard County police in February, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the county and responding officers violated his rights under federal disability law.
LaMorie was killed on Feb. 28 outside Patuxent Commons in Columbia, Maryland, after officers fired 12 shots at him as he approached them with a knife, according to the account provided in the original report.
Minutes before the shooting, LaMorie had called 911 to report that he was the victim of a sextortion cyber scam and had threatened self-harm. He had also called his mother, Jill Harrington, who arrived at the scene too late to prevent his death.
Family Questions Police Response to Crisis
Harrington has previously questioned whether law enforcement did everything possible to prevent the fatal encounter. She has called for meaningful changes following her son’s death.
In the latest lawsuit, filed Thursday, the family alleges that Howard County failed to make appropriate modifications to its emergency response that could have helped protect LaMorie’s life.
The complaint also raises concerns about the equipment available to officers and whether mental health crisis services were considered during the response.
According to the lawsuit, none of the officers at the scene — Joseph Riebau, Joel Rodriguez and Cody Bostic — had Tasers. The family also alleges that there appeared to be no effort that night to contact Grassroots or Humanim, mobile crisis service providers contracted by the county.
The lawsuit describes the police response as a force-first approach that lacked adequate less-lethal options and mental health support.
The family argues that a different response could have helped prevent the encounter from ending in a fatal shooting.
Mother and Stepfather Call for Change
Harrington described her son as her closest companion and someone who shared her love of superheroes and comic books.
“He was the Robin to my Batman, my partner and all things superhero and comics. My companion, but most of all, as he called himself, self-identified, my beloved son. He’s now gone forever,” Harrington said.
She also questioned why her son lost his life after seeking help.
“What crime did he commit? Being frightened? Being victimized for asking for help?” she said.
Her husband, U.S. Army Lt. Colonel David Carey, also criticized the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Carey said his family’s military and first-responder background has shaped its understanding of the use of force.
Although deadly force may sometimes be necessary, he said, it should be treated as a last resort rather than the only available response.
“After a lifetime of service, I’m left struggling to reconcile my service with this unnecessary loss of life,” Carey said.
Autism Advocates Raise Concerns About Police Encounters
LaMorie’s death has also drawn attention to concerns about how police respond to people with disabilities who are experiencing a mental health crisis.
Rae Haight, an autistic autism-studies Ph.D. candidate at Towson University, said some people with disabilities fear that asking for emergency assistance could put them at risk.
“From personal experience, I’m afraid of asking for help and being harmed and I know I’m not alone in this,” Haight said. “I know so many people with disabilities who are more afraid of what may happen to them if they call for help than of the crisis they’re experiencing.”
Attorney Jamie Strawbridge said concerns about police use of force involving people with disabilities extend beyond this case.
“This is a well-known and well-documented problem with individuals with disabilities being disproportionately subjected to unnecessary use of force by police officers,” Strawbridge said.
The lawsuit adds to calls for emergency response systems that better account for disability-related needs and provide alternatives when a person is experiencing a crisis.
Howard County Police Department’s Equipment and Investigation
Following the shooting, Howard County purchased additional Tasers for its police department.
According to WMAR-2 News, the department now has 330 Tasers. That remains approximately 170 short of the number needed to equip all 500 officers currently on the force, based on the figures in the original report.
The department’s internal investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.
The county previously faced questions about the fatal shooting and the response to LaMorie’s crisis.
Howard County spokesperson Safa Hira said the county does not comment on pending litigation.
The federal lawsuit raises questions about disability accommodations, crisis intervention resources and the use of deadly force during emergency calls. The allegations remain claims made by the family, and the filing itself does not establish that the county or officers violated the law.
