Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said Monday his office will not charge the three Baltimore County police officers who responded to a domestic dispute in Parkville in November that ended in a fatal shooting.
The officers — Christopher Schanberger, Andrew Burns and Andrew Langley — could have been charged with excessive force violations or manslaughter after an investigation by an independent division of the attorney general’s office, which in October was given the authority to prosecute officer-involved deaths. Arnel Redfern was killed in a “shootout” with police, while his wife, Maxine Redfern, “also died during the incident,” the report said.
On the night of the shooting, Nov. 24, neighbors called police around 11:30 p.m. after hearing Maxine Redfern screaming for help, the report said. When Schanberger arrived at the Parkville home, Maxine Redfern opened the front door and yelled, “Help me,” before her husband shot her three times with a handgun, according to the report, which reviewed body camera footage.
Schanberger then retreated from the doorway to the side of the porch as Burns arrived, pulled a gun and took cover behind his car. When Langley arrived about 15 seconds later, Arnel Redfern shot Maxine Redfern a fourth time before opening the front door, the report said.
Officers and Arnel Redfern then fired dozens of rounds in 40 seconds, the report said. Schanberger fired eight rounds, Burns fired 16, Langley fired six and Arnel Redfern fired eight.
About five minutes after the shooting ended, a supervisor arrived and ordered officers to the unresponsive bodies. According to the report, officers handcuffed Maxine Redfern before checking her pulse and attempting to render aid. Both were pronounced dead at the scene by medics, and during autopsies, a 9-millimeter bullet from the officers’ weapons was found in both bodies, the report said.
“Mr. Redfern approached Officer Schanberger on the porch with a handgun, just seconds after shooting Ms. Redfern four times,” the report said. “At that point, officers were faced with an imminent threat of serious injury or death as they exchanged gunfire with Mr. Redfern.”
The victims were “married but separated,” and Maxine Redfern, 48, was given a protective order that ordered Arnel Redfern, 52, to surrender all firearms, writing in court documents that he was mentally and psychologically abusive to her. Officers served him with the order on Oct. 11, the report said. Police and the attorney general’s office have not said how they believe Arnel Redfern recovered the handguns investigators were told.
