Federal Civil Rights Suit Filed Over Fatal MD Wellness Check

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — A federal civil rights lawsuit was filed Tuesday by the family of Samuel "Big Sam" Brown, who died in February after being fatally punched by a Baltimore County police officer.

The suit against Baltimore County and Police Officer Derek Hadel was announced by the Murphy, Falcon & Murphy law firm outside the Edward A. Garmatz United States District Courthouse in Baltimore.

It accuses the Baltimore County Police Department of not only a lack of training but also of exhibiting a pattern of police brutality.

Related: MD Man Dies 11 Days After Police Wellness Check

Brown died Feb. 27, nearly two weeks after Hadel punched him during a wellness check.

"Suits for damages don't bring back deceased people. They don't make up for the level of damage that has been done to families, to children, to loved ones, to friends," Bill Murphy, one of the lawyers representing the family, said during a Tuesday news conference.

"Lawsuits, however, do — especially when they hit hard — cause reforms. 
That's why we filed this case. We want this police department to be reformed so that these things will never happen."

What Happened In February?

The Brown case dates back to Feb. 16, when police were dispatched around 3:30 a.m. to the intersection of Security Boulevard and Whitehead Court in Woodlawn for a wellness check.

At the time, Baltimore County Police were alerted to the scene after being notified of a man who had been asleep in the driver's seat of his car while at an intersection.

Although there is no audio of the initial exchange, body camera footage released by the Maryland Attorney General's Office in March showed Hadel speaking to Brown as he sat inside his vehicle.

Related: Footage Released In Deadly Police Encounter

The audio picks up after Brown exits his car and approaches Hadel, seconds after he's seen swatting away the officer's hand from his stomach.

It's not until after Hadel repeatedly instructs Brown to return to his car that the officer shoves and punches him to the ground.

Once on the ground, a pool of blood can be seen around Brown's head.

AG Says No Charges

The lawsuit's Tuesday filing comes after Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced on Aug. 13 that his office would not be seeking charges in the case.

In a release, the attorney general said their findings determined Hadel "did not commit a crime under Maryland law."

The determination came as the office recognized that Hadel was visibly frustrated during the February encounter. Hadel had slammed his car door shut after Brown did not initially step out of his vehicle.

Related: MD Man's Death Ruled A Homicide By Medical Examiner

The attorney general's decision was rejected during the news conference by Murphy.

"'Big Sam' was not killed in self-defense. Officer Hadel did not have to defend himself against a man who was standing next to him drunk, with his hands at his sides, with no weapon. He did not have to die," Murphy said.

"All Officer Hadel had to do was step back, call for backup if he did not want to arrest him. Or, he could have arrested him, and 'Big Sam' would have been alive today. But he didn't use his training. He was into his feelings."

Friends and family of Brown have repeatedly called for police accountability in the case since February, with rallies previously held in the county.