State investigators identify Frederick officers, man killed in police shooting

BALTIMORE -- The Maryland Office of the Attorney General identified the man killed and the officers involved in a police shooting in Frederick over the weekend. 

Joseph Sherrill, a 44-year-old Frederick man, was killed during an arrest attempt Saturday. According to police, he was armed with a knife at the time of the arrest. 

Officers responded around 6 p.m. to the 1500 block of North East Street in search of Sherrill, who was wanted on a warrant for a parole violation. 

The responding officers, identified as patrol division officers Robert Hess and Fahad Mirza, found Sherrill in a closet of the home.

"At some point, the male pulled a knife," said Frederick Police Chief Jason Lando on Saturday. "Officers gave multiple commands for the individual to drop the knife. He did not. Subsequently, the officers fired shots."

It is unclear if more than one officer opened fire. Hess is a 5.5-year veteran and Mirza had been with the department for 8 months, according to the attorney general's office.    

The Independent Investigation Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General is investigating the shooting. The division is tasked with investigating all deaths involving law enforcement in the state.