Maryland audit finds OCME misclassified many police custody deaths, with 48 cases reclassified as homicides.

Maryland's audit reveals the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) misclassified many deaths in police custody, with independent reviews finding 48 of 87 cases from 2003 to 2019 should have been classified as homicides, compared to the OCME's 12. The audit highlights issues like the use of the discredited "excited delirium" theory and racial disparities, leading to recommendations for reforms, better documentation, and transparency.