Police Chief Won't Be Charged In Fatal Shooting Of Man Armed With Knives

RIVERDALE, MD — Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has decided not to charge Cheverly Police Chief David Morris in a Sept. 30, 2025, fatal police-involved shooting that happened in Riverdale.

On Sept. 30, 2025, around 4:45 p.m., Cheverly police officers were called to the 6600 block of Greenland Street in Riverdale to look for a vehicle connected to two separate assaults that had happened earlier that day in Hyattsville and Cheverly.

While waiting for backup from the Prince George's Police Department, officers saw a man, later identified as Tesfa Leith, 45, who they thought was armed, and was chasing someone away from the home. Morris and PGPD officers together approached the home to confront Leith, who went into the home then cam back out holding two knives.

Leith approached the officers, who issued ordered him to drop the knife multiple times, but the man did not comply. A PGPD officer deployed a taser, but it was ineffective, Patch reported previously.

As Leith moved toward Morris, the police chief backed away and fired his gun, hitting Leith. Officers provided emergency medical aid until EMS units arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Two knives were recovered from the scene, police reported.

The Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division began investigating the fatal police-involved shooting on Sept. 30, 2025, and wrapped up its investigation March 3, 2026. After completing its investigation and evaluating all the available evidence, the Office of the Attorney General has determined that Morris did not commit a crime under Maryland law. Accordingly, the Attorney General has declined to prosecute the subject officer in this case.

A copy of the IID’s detailed investigative findings and analysis of relevant legal issues can be found in its declination report.