Paralyzed after police shooting during mental health crisis

A Baltimore County man, John Haley, was left paralyzed after being shot more than a dozen times by police officers during a mental health crisis. His family asserts that on April 28, 2025, after Haley experienced a crisis, his mother called for help via the 988 mental health line, but professionals did not arrive. Instead, police responded, and body camera footage reportedly shows Haley being punched and his head going through drywall.

Nearly a month later, on May 15, 2025, after another mental health crisis, Haley's mother again called 988. No mental health providers arrived within an hour; police were dispatched instead. Body camera footage from this second encounter shows Haley being tased and then shot multiple times. His attorneys claim Haley was denied proper medical care in the hospital, including 30 days of visitation denial.

The family and their attorneys are demanding that the Maryland Office of the Attorney General re-evaluate and investigate the case, citing a pattern of alleged 'bad policing' in Baltimore County. They argue that law enforcement's immediate response should not involve excessive force and that police failed to provide requested documentation during the investigation of Haley's criminal cases.

The Baltimore County Police Department stated that the matter is under review by Internal Affairs and that officers receive extensive training in de-escalation and mental health crisis intervention.