Man Who Died In Prince George's Police Custody Identified By MD Attorney General's Office

LARGO, MD — The man who died while in police custody Friday night has been identified.

On Feb. 16 at approximately 7:45 p.m., officers with the Prince George’s County Police Department responded to a 911 call for a report of a suspicious person knocking on doors of homes in the 10700 block of Lake Arbor Way in Largo. Once on scene, an officer found a man in the road who walked onto a nearby lawn and laid down. The officer immediately called for an ambulance. Two other officers arrived on scene and the man was placed in handcuffs so that officers could transport him to a hospital for evaluation, according to the police department.

After the man was placed in handcuffs, he went into medical distress. Officers immediately provided emergency aid. Medics who were already dispatched and on scene took over resuscitation efforts. The man was pronounced dead on the scene a short time later.

The Independent Investigations Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General has identified the suspect who died as 61-year-old Joseph Holmes of Clinton. The involved Prince George’s County police officers have been identified as Corporal Alyssa Tomaselli, an 11-year veteran; Corporal Mark Price, a 9-year veteran; and Officer Marvin Marks who has been with the department for two years and has a total of 30 years of law enforcement experience. All officers are assigned to the Bureau of Patrol.

An officer with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission Police Department who was on the scene has been identified as Officer Andre Brooks, a 7-year veteran who has a total of 34 years of law enforcement experience.

The IID continues to investigate the circumstances of the in-custody death. Officers on scene were equipped with body-worn cameras, which recorded the incident. The IID will generally release the footage within 20 business days of an incident.