Man Holds Mother Hostage, Severely Bites Officer in Fatal Struggle

Reconstructed timeline

Times from synchronized camera clocks and dispatch records.

1. 9:43 PM

   Night-before 911 call for an ambulance

   Quarles' mother, 50, calls 911 asking that her son be taken to the hospital, saying he was 'acting erratically' and 'talking about wanting to go to heaven.' AACoPD find him calm and coherent in a third-floor closet; he refuses the hospital and officers determine they cannot force him. Different…

2. 4:05 AM

   Morning 911 call - son won't let mother leave bedroom

   The mother calls 911 again, reporting that every time she moves toward the bedroom door her son pushes her onto the bed. Dispatch notes the prior evening's mental-health (10-96) complaint but relays no further detail to responding officers. Minute-level time as stated in the report.

3. 4:11 AM

   Ricci and Steffes arrive; no answer at the door

   Officers Jonathan Ricci and Benjamin Steffes arrive with active BWC. Ricci knocks and rings the bell with no answer; Steffes checks the rear sliding glass door, which is locked. Minute-level time as stated in the report.

4. 4:17 AM

   Breach authorized; O'Neale arrives

   Ricci asks the 911 operator (still on the line with the mother) to warn her that police will force the door. Through the operator she asks them to force entry, and a supervisor authorizes it. As Ricci goes to his vehicle for the breach kit, Officer Anastasia O'Neale arrives with BWC.

5. 4:19 AM

   Ricci breaches the front door and enters

   Ricci breaches the door (the report says with a sledgehammer; the released bodycam shows a pry/entry tool at the frame), yells 'county police,' and enters gun-drawn, followed by Steffes with his taser and O'Neale with her gun by her side, up two flights of stairs of the three-story end-unit…

6. 4:20 AM

   Bedroom door kicked open; Quarles on the bed

   On the third floor Ricci kicks open the locked bedroom door. Quarles is sitting on the bed, no shirt, arms raised, with his mother present. Ricci orders him to the ground; Quarles gets down, then as Ricci approaches he gets up and sits back on the bed and pulls a blanket over himself. Steffes…

7. 4:20 AM

   Quarles charges; tackles and punches Ricci; taser fails

   As the mother leaves, Quarles charges out of the bedroom. Steffes deploys his taser but it does not stop him. Quarles tackles Ricci to the ground and punches him repeatedly in the head (Ricci later found to have a concussion). Officers pull Quarles off; he ends up on his back with an officer on…

8. 4:22 AM

   Struggle resumes as Ricci tries to cuff him

   After the ~1:15 lull, Quarles begins struggling again - moving his upper body and kicking - as Ricci attempts to place a handcuff on his right wrist.

9. 4:22 AM

   Bite and three shots fired

   About 10 seconds after 4:22:40, Ricci begins to scream - Quarles has multiple fingers of Ricci's right hand in his mouth and will not release. Ricci yells 'he's biting my fucking finger off!' and 'somebody shoot the motherfucker, shoot him.' O'Neale deploys her taser to Quarles' side (ineffective)…

10. 4:23 AM

    O'Neale radios for medical aid; Ricci collapses

    Ricci frees his fingers, falls, and spits up blood. O'Neale radios for medical assistance. Steffes cuffs Quarles. Ricci stands, exits to the hallway, and collapses unresponsive; arriving officers immediately begin tending to him.

11. 4:25 AM

    Officers render aid to Quarles

    About two minutes after the shooting, O'Neale assesses Quarles, keeps pressure on a wound, applies a chest seal handed to her, and she and Steffes begin chest compressions. Approximate minute-level time (~2 minutes after the shooting per the report).

12. 4:25 AM

    Dipietro and Deloatch carry Ricci downstairs

    Officers Dipietro and Deloatch, first to arrive after the shooting, find Ricci collapsed and carry him to the second floor, keeping him on his side as he spits up blood; every time his right hand is touched he cries out. Approximate - the report gives no exact time; footage shows the carry-down…

13. 4:28 AM

    Paramedics reach Ricci

    Paramedics arrive on the second floor and begin rendering aid to Ricci. Minute-precision time as stated in the report.

14. 4:29 AM

    Paramedics reach Quarles; no heartbeat

    A minute later more paramedics go to the third floor and reach Quarles at 4:29:30 a.m., seven minutes after the shooting. As officers continue CPR, a monitor shows no heartbeat.

15. 4:36 AM

    Quarles pronounced dead on scene

    Quarles succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on scene at 4:36 a.m. Ricci was transported to a hospital and treated for his injuries.

16. 12:00 AM

    Autopsy: homicide by three gunshot wounds

    Dr. Stephanie Dean performs the autopsy. Three gunshot wounds: chest (liver, spleen, left kidney), right shoulder into torso (both lungs), and right forearm; gunpowder stippling indicates close range. Cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds; manner of death: homicide (a medical classification, not…

17. 12:00 AM

    Firearms and search-warrant findings

    MSP recovered Ricci's Glock 17 Gen5 9mm at the scene; the firearms examiner matched the two autopsy bullets and one fired bullet from the scene to Ricci's firearm (a second fragment's source undetermined). Under a search warrant, eight capsules of off-white powder from Quarles' bedroom were tested…

18. 12:00 AM

    IID report to State's Attorney; no charge recommendation

    The Maryland OAG IID completed its investigation Aug 24, 2022 and transmitted its report to Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess on Aug 30, 2022. It concluded it would be difficult for the State to prove Ricci did not act in self-defense or under law-enforcement justification,…