In June of 2012, a 17-year-old male named Christopher Brown, a promising high school football player from Randallstown, Maryland, lost his life after an altercation with an off-duty Baltimore County police officer. The incident began when a group of friends, including Brown, were present when a rock was thrown at the front door of Officer James Laboard's home. Laboard pursued the group and ultimately caught up with Christopher Brown, placing him in a chokehold.
The medical examiner later ruled Christopher Brown's death a homicide by asphyxiation. In the days following his death, family and friends gathered for vigils to remember the young man they described as having an infectious smile and a great heart. Many in the community expressed outrage that the officer involved, James Laboard, had not been immediately arrested or charged, drawing comparisons to other high-profile cases of alleged police misconduct.
Eventually, Officer Laboard was brought to trial but was acquitted of all charges in Brown's death in 2013. Following the acquittal, Christopher Brown's family filed a civil lawsuit against Baltimore County for wrongful death and excessive use of force. In a move to avoid a potentially larger judgment in a civil trial, where the burden of proof is lower than in a criminal case, Baltimore County reached a settlement with the Brown family for $1.5 million. The case remains a painful memory for the family and community, who continue to mourn the loss of a young life cut short.
