Pytorcarcha Brooks Obituary, Death;- Authorities have confirmed the identity of the 70-year-old woman who was fatally shot, as well as the officers involved in the police-related incident earlier this week in Baltimore.
The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General has disclosed the identities of those involved in the shooting that occurred on Wednesday, June 25.
The deceased woman has been identified as Pytorcarcha Brooks from Baltimore. The officers involved in the incident are identified as Stephen Colbert, an 8-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department, and Stephen Galewski, who has served for 3 years. Both officers are part of the patrol division.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. on June 25, officers responded to multiple service calls at a residence located in the 2700 block of Mosher Street. Upon their arrival, officers were informed that Brooks, who was inside the residence, required assistance due to a behavioral health crisis, as stated by Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley.
Officers made several attempts to communicate with Brooks, but those efforts were unsuccessful, according to Worley. The police reported that they subsequently forced entry into the residence, where they found Brooks armed with a knife.
Worley indicated that Brooks disregarded repeated verbal instructions from the officers to drop the knife and instead lunged at them. A taser was deployed at that moment, but it failed to incapacitate Brooks. As the officers continued their attempts to deescalate the situation while retreating from the residence, one officer stumbled over a chair.
Worley noted that Brooks then lunged at the officer who had fallen while still wielding the knife. At this point, another officer discharged their weapon twice, striking the woman. Brooks was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The officer who fell during the de-escalation suffered a back injury from the fall and was also taken to a hospital for treatment.
No officers sustained direct injuries from Brooks. The IID is actively investigating the details surrounding the shooting. Anyone possessing information regarding the incident, including cell phone or private surveillance footage, is encouraged to contact authorities.
