Maryland Attorney General declines charges in Baltimore County detective’s fatal shooting of masked man with bow

Decision ends criminal review of April 2025 police shooting in Arbutus

A Baltimore County Police Department detective will not face criminal charges in the fatal shooting of a 51-year-old Arbutus man who was armed with a bow and arrow during a confrontation in April 2025. The decision follows an investigation conducted under Maryland’s statewide process for reviewing police-involved deaths.

The shooting occurred on April 23, 2025, in the 5100 block of Leeds Avenue in Arbutus. Police were dispatched after multiple 911 calls reporting a man wearing a black ski mask and shooting arrows at passing vehicles. Officers located a man matching that description and, during the encounter, one officer fired his service weapon, striking the man. He was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. A bow and multiple arrows were recovered at the scene, and no officers or civilians were reported injured during the incident.

What investigators said happened in the seconds before shots were fired

The man was identified as Arvel Lamont Jones Sr., 51, of Arbutus. Investigators reviewed witness statements, dispatch recordings, and physical and forensic evidence. The involved detective was identified as Todd Wiedel, a long-serving Baltimore County officer who responded to assist after a uniformed officer located Jones.

Investigators determined that when the detective exited his vehicle near the intersection of Leeds Avenue and North Avenue, Jones turned toward him with the bow loaded and drawn. The detective fired his handgun as Jones fired an arrow; the arrow missed. Jones was struck by gunfire, and officers requested emergency medical assistance and rendered aid until medical personnel arrived.

The medical examiner determined Jones died from gunshot wounds. The manner of death was classified as homicide, a medical designation that describes death caused by another person and does not, by itself, determine whether a crime occurred.

Body-camera limitations and the scope of the review

Investigators reported that no body-worn camera footage captured the shooting itself. The discharging officer was not equipped with a body-worn camera at the time, and the witness officer’s body-worn camera was activated only after the incident.

The criminal review focused on whether the detective’s use of force violated Maryland law. The determination not to file charges addressed criminal liability only and did not resolve potential civil claims or internal administrative decisions by the police department.

• Date and location: April 23, 2025, 5100 block of Leeds Avenue, Arbutus.
• Call type: reports of a masked man shooting arrows at vehicles.
• Evidence considerations: witness accounts, dispatch audio, forensic findings; no body-camera video of the shooting.

Investigators concluded the evidence did not support criminal charges under Maryland law.