A man who was shot by police during a domestic violence incident died last week. According to NBC, the man was shot in the chest by a Prince George’s County sheriff’s deputy around 1 a.m. on October 23rd.
Police responded to a 911 call in the 2300 block of Houston Street in Suitland. The woman who made the call reported that there was a domestic disturbance that involved a gun. When authorities arrived, a man came to the front door. After becoming confrontational with the police, sheriff’s deputy Kendal Wade shot the man in the chest.
According to WTOP, four-year veteran Wade was placed on administrative leave, which is routine in cases like this. The man Wade shot, 38-year-old Michael Ricardo Minor, later died of his injuries in a hospital. Wade himself was not injured and there were no weapons found at the scene.
The incident happened just weeks after Maryland introduced a series of laws that expand protection for victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence charges can stem from incidents in which a person is accused of assaulting a spouse, family member, or member of their household.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As such, reported WBAL, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown highlighted three new laws that increase protection for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, and hold abusers accountable.
“Domestic violence does not discriminate. Its impact is felt in every community regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic status, or gender,” Brown said. “This month we come together to raise awareness of this senseless crime and recommit ourselves to the effort to eliminate it. These new laws are an important part of our continued progress to protect women and children from domestic violence, but our work is not complete until every Marylander is free from fear in their home or in their community.”
As a result of the laws, victims are now able to obtain a permanent final protective order in cases of second-degree assault in Maryland. Additionally, Maryland is finally no longer the only state in the country to require “clear and convincing evidence” for victims to be able to get a peace or protection order. The new laws rather require only “preponderance of the evidence.” This should reduce the number of peace or protective orders in Maryland — there were nearly 3,500 denied just in 2013 because of the previously strict evidence laws.
