Maryland officials approve settlement to reform autopsy process after teen’s 2018 in-custody death

By BRIAN WITTE
Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland officials have approved a settlement that includes reforms to the state medical examiner’s process for conducting autopsies on people killed in police custody. The settlement approved by the Board of Public Works on Wednesday ends litigation relating to how the office performed an autopsy for Anton Black, a 19-year-old who died in 2018 during a struggle in police custody. The state has agreed to adopt a policy that explicitly addresses how medical examiners handle in-custody deaths. The policy applies to all deaths in custody involving law enforcement restraint, including deaths occurring in facilities like jails, prisons and juvenile facilities.