Man ‘armed with a large spear’ shot dead by Howard County police

A man armed with “a large double-edged spear” was shot dead by Howard County, Maryland, police after they said he stabbed a family member.

Police were called to the 9200 block of Wilbur Court in Columbia Monday evening by a man who said he had just been stabbed several times by his brother.

Two minutes later, the stabbing suspect called 911 and told the call taker he had stabbed his brother and was still armed.

In a news briefing, Howard County police spokesperson Sherry Llewellyn said when police arrived at the intersection of Oakland Mills Road and Carters Lane around 7:30 p.m., the suspect was armed with “a large, doubled-edged spear.”

She said the man moved toward officers, who ordered him to drop the weapon.

As the incident evolved, Llewellyn said officers “were forced to shoot” the armed man, who died on the scene. He hasn’t been identified.

No officers were injured. As of Tuesday, the stabbing victim remained in critical condition at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

Police have identified the stabbing victim as Samuel Louie Booker IV of Columbia.

The Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division said it is investigating the police-involved shooting.

A map of the area where the initial stabbing and deadly shooting happened is below.

Wilbur Court Columbia
Marker is placed at the intersection of Wilbur Court and Carters Lane. (Courtesy Google Maps)

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Neal Augenstein

Neal Augenstein has been a general assignment reporter with WTOP since 1997. He says he looks forward to coming to work every day, even though that means waking up at 3:30 a.m.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up