Police fatally shoot resident of Columbia complex that supports adults with disabilities

A man who was fatally shot by Howard County Police early Sunday was a resident of an apartment complex dedicated to supporting adults with disabilities, according to the group that manages the complex.

In a statement, Mission First Housing Group said it learned Sunday morning that one of its residents at Patuxent Commons in Columbia was shot and killed outside the property after a wellness check by police.

“Our thoughts are with the resident’s family and friends and we are working to support them,” the statement said.

The complex could not share whether the man living at Patuxent Commons had a disability, per the building’s privacy protocol.

Police said in a news release that officers responded at 12:09 a.m. to a call for service in the 6400 block of Freetown Road “for what was determined to be an adult male threatening to harm himself.”

Police said they discovered the man outside the building about 13 minutes later. He approached officers while holding a knife and did not adhere to requests to drop it, the release said.

Officers shot the man, and he was declared dead shortly after police attempted lifesaving measures, the release said.

No officers were injured.

Police did not respond to questions related to the officers involved or the man who died. They deferred to the Maryland Office of the Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division, which is investigating.

The shooting occurred near Patuxent Commons, a complex dedicated to addressing the housing needs of adults with disabilities. The $44 million project, developed by The Autism Society of Maryland and Mission First Housing Group, provides support to community members with special needs, along with older people and families, and is the recipient of more than $5 million in county funds.

Representatives directed all further questions to the Howard County Police Department and said staff members were working at the complex to provide support. On Monday, more staff from The Autism Society of Maryland and grief counselors will be available to respond to resident concerns.

In November, the groups hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the apartments along with Maryland state senators, delegates and Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. All available apartments in the building were fully leased as of late January. About a quarter of the complex’s 76 units are set aside for people with disabilities, part of an effort, according to its website, to ensure “community integration” and adhere to federal and state funding guidelines.