The tragic death of 25-year-old Alex LaMorie, a Columbia man with autism, after he called Howard County Police for assistance during a mental health crisis, underscores a critical and persistent challenge across Maryland and the nation: the overreliance on law enforcement as the primary responders to mental health emergencies. Despite Howard County’s reputation as a leader in crisis response, with widespread officer training in crisis intervention and 24/7 access to behavioral health specialists, LaMorie’s March 1st death on March 1st illustrates that even well-intentioned systems can falter, leading to devastating outcomes.
This incident is not an isolated tragedy. It echoes a disturbing pattern observed in recent years, prompting urgent calls for comprehensive reform in how communities address mental health crises. Advocates and experts argue that a fragmented, underfunded, and often inconsistent approach by law enforcement is contributing to a preventable rise in fatalities, demanding a more proactive and courageous shift in strategy.
A Pattern of Tragic Encounters
The circumstances surrounding Alex LaMorie’s death are sadly familiar. In January, Baltimore Police fatally shot a 48-year-old woman experiencing a mental health crisis because specially trained officers were unavailable. Months later, in June, the same department was involved in another fatal shooting of a 70-year-old woman in a behavioral health crisis. Further compounding the issue, a Baltimore County family recently called for an investigation into a 2025 police shooting that left their 27-year-old son, also with autism, paralyzed during a mental health emergency. In September, Cambridge Police shot and killed a suicidal man who was naked and wielding a knife.
These incidents, occurring across different jurisdictions and involving individuals with diverse needs, paint a stark picture of a system struggling to meet the complex demands of mental health emergencies. While police departments are increasingly equipped with some form of crisis intervention training, the efficacy and reach of these programs are far from uniform.
The Data: A Crisis Within a Crisis
The statistics paint a grim picture. Research indicates that approximately 25% of fatal police encounters nationwide involve individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Furthermore, over 10% of all police encounters involve individuals exhibiting signs of a mental health disorder. This prevalence suggests that police officers are frequently the first, and sometimes only, point of contact for individuals in distress, a role for which they are not always adequately prepared or resourced.
"That goes to show you how much more there is to learn and how much more there is to invest in the resources needed for these types of situations," stated Scott Gibson, chief operating officer at Melwood, a family of nonprofits dedicated to supporting individuals with disabilities. This sentiment is echoed by Tahir Duckett, executive director at Georgetown Law’s Center for Innovations in Community Safety, who notes the growing public frustration: "Cities and communities are tired of watching these videos of people in mental health crisis being killed by police and are wondering: Do we have another option here?"
The question of adequate resource allocation is central to the debate. "I think it’s fair to ask ourselves: If we know this about mental health, are we resourcing it enough in our budgets?" Gibson posed, highlighting a critical gap between the recognized need and the financial commitment to address it.
Immediate Responses and Lingering Questions
In the immediate aftermath of Alex LaMorie’s death, Howard County Police announced the purchase of 200 Tasers for patrol officers, ensuring that every officer interacting with the public would be equipped with the less-lethal device. Howard Police spokesperson Sherry Llewelyn confirmed that officers are already authorized to use pepper spray, beanbag shotguns, and rubber projectiles. However, this decision has also sparked questions about why such standard less-lethal options were not universally available to officers prior to the incident.
Carroll County Sheriff James T. "Jim" DeWees emphasized the importance of readily available tools, stating, "There’s absolutely no excuse for any agency right now in the police world not to have all the less-lethal devices that are available to them at their fingertips." This sentiment suggests a broader expectation within law enforcement for comprehensive equipment to manage volatile situations without resorting to lethal force.
The Limitations of Crisis Intervention Training
Many police agencies across the region offer a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program, designed to equip officers with enhanced mental health awareness, de-escalation techniques, and trauma-informed practices. However, advocates argue that this training, while valuable, is often insufficient to fundamentally alter the outcomes of encounters with individuals in severe crisis.
"That’s often not going to be enough to change the outcome, and these incidents (will) keep happening," warned Heather Warnken, executive director of the University of Baltimore’s School of Law Center for Criminal Justice Reform. She stressed the need for more "forward-thinking and courageous" reforms.
The prevalence of CIT training varies significantly by agency. While Montgomery County boasts 99% of its officers certified, Baltimore County has only 11% fully certified, with an additional 26% having partial training. Howard Police report approximately 80% certification, while Harford County Sheriff’s Office has about 30% of its authorized law enforcement trained. Baltimore City Police has certified 28% of its patrol officers, and Anne Arundel Police has 27% trained.
Tahir Duckett likens CIT training to "wearing a seat belt"—essential and important, but not a guarantee against all harm. "Given the number of people in mental health crisis that police officers deal with each year, a single 40-hour training is actually woefully insufficient," he asserted. Scott Gibson echoed this concern, noting that in high-stress situations, "instincts are going to kick in. We are wired to protect ourselves."
Evolving Understanding and Continuous Learning
The complexities of neurodiversity, particularly autism, add another layer to the challenge. As understanding of autism and developmental disabilities evolves, the need for continuous and updated training becomes paramount. "We know more about neurodiversity today than we did a week ago," Gibson pointed out. "There has to be a continual commitment to learning, because what we’re learning continues to evolve." This underscores the need for ongoing education rather than one-time training sessions.
Exploring Alternative Response Models: Mobile Crisis Teams and Co-Responders
Beyond enhanced officer training, a growing consensus points towards the expansion of specialized response models. Sheriff DeWees highlighted the success of Carroll County’s mobile crisis team, which pairs behavioral health specialists with individuals in crisis. He noted that officers often find themselves responding to the same individuals repeatedly, indicating a cycle of inadequate support. "It’s just so cyclical that nothing is solved, but having the (behavioral health) units that can divert those resources from the hospital to a nonprofit or someone in the community really works well," he explained.
The co-responder model, where mental health professionals accompany law enforcement to crisis calls, is gaining traction. Since the turn of the century, most Maryland jurisdictions have established mobile crisis teams, often comprising licensed specialists, peer recovery specialists, and crisis specialists, sometimes with a police officer present. Howard County Police, for example, has partnered with Grassroots Crisis Intervention since 2001, deploying two teams available around the clock. These teams responded to over 900 interventions in fiscal year 2025. Dr. Mariana Izraelson, executive director of Grassroots, stated, "The programs tend to be extremely effective. Many times we work to evaluate the person at that point and determine how to move forward."
However, these programs are not without their limitations. Demand often outstrips funding, impacting their effectiveness. In Baltimore, data from the previous summer revealed an increase in behavioral health calls alongside a decrease in diversions to professional services. In the case of the 70-year-old woman’s death, Baltimore’s Police Commissioner Richard Worley acknowledged that the city’s lone mobile crisis team had not been called to the scene. "We give (officers) the training we can give them to deal with this," Worley stated at a press conference. "People that aren’t police officers have to help us address this with getting treatment for these individuals."
Regarding the LaMorie incident, Howard Police spokesperson Sherry Llewelyn noted that "When a situation evolves quickly, time does not allow for the (mobile crisis team) to respond, which is why it’s important to train patrol officers in crisis intervention." This response highlights a critical tension: while specialized teams are ideal, rapid escalation can preclude their involvement.
The Debate Over Unarmed Responders
Advocates like Tahir Duckett propose a bolder approach: allowing behavioral health specialists to be the primary responders for mental health crises without weapons, citing successful models in cities like Durham, N.C., and Denver. He argues that if emergency medical services can be dispatched without police, the same should apply to mental health professionals. "At the very least, when there is a mental health component to a call, a mental health professional needs to be on the scene," Duckett asserted.
Sheriff DeWees, however, views sending unarmed responders into potentially dangerous situations as "ridiculous," citing the risk of serious injury or death. While acknowledging the validity of these concerns, Duckett suggests that the co-responder model offers a compromise, allowing specialists to provide guidance alongside police in situations that may escalate.
Sheriff DeWees supports the co-responder model, emphasizing that Carroll County’s system, which has not seen a police shooting in over a decade, has been "remarkably well." He noted that resource limitations prevent 24/7 deployment of such teams, but the current model meets the county’s needs.
The cost of hiring licensed clinicians is substantial, but advocates like Scott Gibson argue it is a necessary investment. "As we get more clarity on the intersection of mental health, developmental disability and law enforcement, have we invested enough? The answer is we probably haven’t," he concluded.
Bridging the Information Gap and Fostering Proactive Prevention
Beyond immediate response strategies, experts emphasize the need for preventative measures that reduce the number of mental health crises escalating to a 911 call. Scott Gibson stressed the importance of a robust community safety net: "We’ve got to step back and we’ve got to make sure that the safety net in the community is robust enough that we can prevent more of these calls from even happening."
A significant barrier, Gibson explained, is an "information gap." While resources may exist, individuals in need often lack awareness of where to access them, leading them to default to dialing 911.
Heather Warnken points to a lack of bold reform, with disagreements over approaches leading to incremental changes rather than systemic overhaul. "We default to continuing to do business as usual," she stated. "We need to be more bold, courageous and innovative."
Melissa Rosenberg, executive director of the Autism Society of Maryland, echoed this call for a "revamped comprehensive response" that addresses the entire spectrum of crisis management, from the initial call to the on-site intervention. Her statement, "Alex called the police for help. He had not committed a crime," powerfully encapsulates the core of the problem: individuals seeking assistance are instead met with a potentially lethal response. The tragic trajectory of Alex LaMorie’s encounter serves as a stark reminder of the urgent and multifaceted reforms required to ensure that mental health crises are met with care, not casualties.
