Maryland Capitol Police officer who used Taser on 11-year-old boy faces negligence lawsuit

A Maryland Capitol Police officer is being sued after he used his Taser on an 11-year-old boy outside the State Center government office complex in Baltimore, leaving him with what the complaint alleges are lasting physical and emotional injuries.

The child’s mother, Markeia Scott, filed the negligence lawsuit on Friday in Baltimore Circuit Court against the Maryland Capitol Police, Lt. Carlos Gomez and the state of Maryland.

Gomez, the lawsuit asserts, falsely imprisoned and assaulted the boy, who obeyed all commands and did not resist arrest.

Neither Scott nor her attorney, Leonard Gutkoska, could immediately be reached for comment.

Police initially refused to release much information about the 2023 encounter, but The Banner was able to obtain documents from the internal investigation file.

The Maryland Department of General Services oversees the Maryland Capitol Police, which provides security at state buildings, parking lots and garages.

In an email, Brandon Stoneburg, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of General Services, said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

On March 13, 2023, Gomez responded to a call about people damaging property. A group took off running, and he tried to pursue them, according to the lawsuit.

Next, Gomez approached the boy and ordered him to stop and sit on the ground — or he’d use his Taser.

As Gomez tried to handcuff the child, he fired his Taser at point-blank range. He alleges that it was an accident.

The boy was taken to the University of Maryland Medical Center. He experienced “physical pain and injuries, reputation damages, and severe emotional trauma, for which he continues to suffer,” the lawsuit states.

The Maryland Department of General Services, on the advice of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, released little information about the encounter and cited a law that requires secrecy around juvenile court proceedings.

But a lawmaker involved in creating the measure stated that it was not intended to suppress information about the actions of police officers.

The Banner later obtained more than 100 pages from the internal investigative file through Anton’s Law, which took effect in 2021 and made police disciplinary files available under the Maryland Public Information Act.

The records revealed that a state charging committee found that Gomez had used excessive force and recommended two days’ loss of leave. He accepted the punishment.

Investigators concluded that Gomez did not intentionally use his Taser, and that it happened because of “training issues that need to be addressed.”

Gomez was later promoted from sergeant to lieutenant.