Maryland AG Declines to Charge Cheverly Police Chief in Riverdale Shooting

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced March 6 that the Office of the Attorney General declined to prosecute Cheverly Police Chief David Morris over a fatal police-involved shooting on the 6600 block of Greenland Street in Riverdale. The Independent Investigations Division opened its inquiry on September 30, 2025 and concluded its work on March 3, 2026, the OAG said.

In laying out the decision, the OAG wrote, "The Office of the Attorney General has determined that the subject officer did not commit a crime under Maryland law. Accordingly, the Attorney General has declined to prosecute the subject officer in this case." The IID’s written declination, the office said, includes detailed investigative findings and legal analysis.

The shooting occurred as Cheverly officers and Chief Morris were attempting to locate a vehicle tied to two assaults reported earlier that afternoon in Hyattsville and Cheverly, officials said. Officers located the car at a residence on the 6600 block of Greenland Street and observed a man outdoors who they believed to be connected to those assaults and who was chasing another person away from the home. Cheverly’s public statement said Chief Morris encountered a man outdoors, believed to be the suspect, who was armed with knives; the suspect charged Chief Morris, who discharged his firearm. Two knives were recovered at the scene.

Investigators reviewed body-worn camera footage, forensic evidence, witness interviews, and other records as part of the IID probe. Video and a still image from a Prince George’s County officer’s body camera show a man holding a knife in each hand and advancing toward Chief Morris, investigators said. Officers issued commands to drop the knives; an officer discharged a Taser that did not stop the man, and seconds later multiple shots were audible on the released video.

The man who was shot died at the scene. The OAG and local reporting identify him as Tesfa Leith; some accounts used alternate spellings, including "Leif," and one account identified him as a 45-year-old man. Audio captured in the released footage includes a woman shouting, "You killed my son," and officers saying, "You're alright, buddy, you're alright," and "Just breathe" as they ran to secure the knives and render aid.

Chief Morris had been placed on leave during the investigation and Deputy Chief Jennifer Krauss served as acting chief, Cheverly officials said. The IID’s declination closes the Attorney General’s criminal review of the shooting; the OAG indicated the declination report is available in a PDF with the office’s findings and legal analysis.

The Maryland OAG listed a media contact phone number, 410-576-7009, and Cheverly’s release directs media inquiries to press@oag.state.md.us for further information.