Independent investigators identify officer and deceased man in Bel Air police shooting

The man who died after a Bel Air police officer shot him in the back Saturday was 57-year-old Francisco Aparicio-Munoz of Bel Air, state investigators said. The officer was Christopher Birch, who joined the town’s police department two months ago.

What changed: Initial reports described the man as 40 years old. The Maryland Attorney General’s Office identified him Tuesday as Aparicio-Munoz and gave his age as 57.

The first reports did not identify Birch. State officials said he has three years of police experience and currently works in uniformed patrol.

What we know: Bel Air police said Birch stopped Aparicio-Munoz about 8:55 p.m. Saturday on Franklin Street. Police said the two got into a physical fight before Birch shot him.

Paramedics reported a gunshot wound in Aparicio-Munoz’s back. A medical helicopter took him from Bel Air High School to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, where he died.

Authorities have not said why Birch stopped Aparicio-Munoz. They also have not released an account of what started the fight or the actions Birch and Aparicio-Munoz took before the shooting.

Birch’s injuries: Town officials said Monday that Birch received hospital care for injuries from the fight. He left the hospital but later returned for more care tied to those injuries. Officials have not released further details about his condition.

Video evidence: Birch had a body camera, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Investigators also have private cell phone video from the shooting.

State investigators generally make body-camera video public within 20 business days. The office said the process can take longer when investigators need more time for witness interviews, must hide civilian witnesses’ identities or want to give family members time to see the video before its public release.

The investigation: The Independent Investigations Division of the Attorney General’s Office is investigating. State law requires the division to review deaths caused or apparently caused by police officers.

The division has not released its findings or said when it expects to finish its work.