2 Teens Indicted In Death Of Officer Caprio Seek Release On Bail

TOWSON, MD — One of the four teens indicted in the death of a Baltimore County police officer was supposed to appear in court this week for a bail review. The hearing for Derrick Matthews, 16, has been postponed from Tuesday until Aug. 16.

Matthews is one of four teens indicted in the death of Officer Amy Caprio.

The 29-year-old Baltimore County policewoman was hit by a Jeep investigating a report of a suspicious vehicle in Perry Hall the afternoon of May 21, and died that day from her injuries.

Dawnta Harris, 16, is the one accused of driving the Jeep. He is being held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center. According to attorney Warren Brown, who is representing Harris with J. Wyndal Gordon pro bono, running over the police officer was unintentional.

Harris was "operating out of fear" when the officer pulled her gun, according to the teen's attorney, who said that he "shut the door, ducked down, took off, heard a shot and he was gone," according to WBAL.

Autopsy results indicated the death of Caprio was a homicide due to traumatic injuries from being hit by the Jeep, police said.

Four teens were indicted in Caprio's murder on 19 charges each, from first-degree murder to theft less than $100. According to the indictments, they were involved in break-ins in Perry Hall homes, stealing items from a bag of Cheetos to a handgun. All are being held without bail by the Baltimore County Bureau of Corrections, and two are slated to appear in court in August requesting to be released pending trial.

The state's attorney has requested to try the teens together.

The attorneys for all of the teens except Harris have requested their cases be tried in juvenile court, and at least one has opposed trying them together.

The public defender representing Darrell Ward, 16, of the 2300 block of Ashland Avenue in Baltimore, has opposed the state's request to try all of the teens together. Ward's lawyer also requested the case be transferred to juvenile court. At the time of the crimes, Ward was 15. He turned 16 on July 8 while being held without bail by the Baltimore County Bureau of Corrections. Judge Jan Alexander, who has been assigned all of the teen's cases, issued an order July 20 that a study be completed on the matter.

Derrick Matthews, 16, of the 200 block of South Dallas Court in Baltimore, has requested to be placed on home detention. He has a bail review hearing set for Aug. 16. He also requested his case be transferred to juvenile court. Since his attorney William R. Buie III asked for a bail review and that his client be placed on home detention, a pretrial risk assessment is being conducted, court records show.

Eugene Genius, 18, of the 400 block of North Lakewood in Baltimore, has requested his case be transferred to juvenile court. He turned 18 on May 31, which was 10 days after the crime. He has a bail review hearing set for Aug. 28. His attorney is Derrick G. Hamlin.

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Baltimore County officials said Caprio was the first female officer killed in the line of duty in the Baltimore Police Department's 144-year history.

After the indictments were issued by a grand jury, the Baltimore County state's attorney said he would not comment publicly on the cases.

"The Baltimore County State's Attorney's office is committed to assuring that each of the charged defendants and the citizens of this State, including the family of Officer Caprio, receive a fair and just trial," the statement said. "For that reason, we will not be publicly addressing any of the specific details of this case, other than in the courtroom, until the trial or trials have occurred."

Pictured are those charged, clockwise from top left: Dawnta Harris, Darrell Ward, Derrick Matthews, Eugene Genius; and photo of Officer Amy Caprio. Images courtesy of Baltimore County Police Department.