Misconduct Charge Against Annapolis Medic Dropped After Renardo Green's Death

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A judge dismissed the charge against an Annapolis paramedic accused of misconduct related to Renardo Green's death, The Capital reported Friday.

Bridget Elizabeth Weiss of the Annapolis Fire Department was previously accused of filing a false report on Green's death. A medical examiner ruled that Green's death was caused by how medics restrained him face-down during a drug, medical and behavioral emergency in 2021.

Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Michael Malone ruled that Weiss was charged after the statute of limitations had expired, The Capital said. The newspaper noted that misdemeanor charges like misconduct usually must be brought forward within one year of an offense.

The Capital said Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess argued that Weiss's job as a paramedic makes her a public official, which would extend the time prosecutors had to press charges.

The state's attorney is considering a possible appeal of the decision to dismiss the charge against Weiss, The Capital said.

Renardo Green's family still has an active federal lawsuit in the Maryland District Court. The suit was filed in December 2022. It seeks $75 million in damages, WJZ reported.

The lawsuit alleged "that first responders negligently restrained Green face down," WJZ said.

This March, the City of Annapolis released the body camera footage of first responders interacting with Green.

The body camera footage is posted at the links below. The videos are graphic.

• June 1, 2021 APD Body Worn Camera Footage File 1
• June 1, 2021 APD Body Worn Camera Footage File 2
• June 1, 2021 APD Body Worn Camera Footage File 3
• June 1, 2021 APD Body Worn Camera Footage File 4

Mayor Gavin Buckley released this statement alongside the videos:

“It is our goal that accountability be a priority in our public safety team’s interactions with residents. At the request of the State’s Attorney, we held off on releasing footage during the investigative phase. Now that the investigation is complete, we want to be as transparent as possible and we are releasing the footage to both Mr. Green’s family and the public. I know our emergency response personnel are dedicated professionals who work to deliver quality care to residents. I believe the video footage demonstrates this and provides the full context of the emergency response. I also want to acknowledge the pain experienced by Mr. Green’s family and friends in the wake of these tragic circumstances and offer them my sincere condolences.”

Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess in February 2023 determined that there was no criminal wrongdoing that led to Green's death. That's also when Leitess initially charged Weiss with misconduct in office related to a report filed after the encounter.

Timeline Of Events

First responders were called twice to assist Green after he ingested controlled dangerous substances on June 1, 2021, the state's attorney said.

Leitess said the Annapolis Police Department found a male relative restraining Green.

The state's attorney said officers "learned that he had smashed a dish and cut his hand, was highly intoxicated and out of control. He was a danger to himself and others in the apartment."

Leitess said it took police more than 16 minutes to restrain Green, handcuff him behind his back, pick him up from the bloody floor and place him on a stretcher.

"Body worn camera showed that during those sixteen minutes the police and paramedics exercised caution, concern and professionalism with Mr. Green," Leitess said in a letter to the Annapolis police and fire chiefs. "The scene was unsafe for all and this appeared to be a chaotic and stressful situation."

Paramedics then took control of Green for four minutes between when he was placed on a temporary stretcher and carried downstairs to the ambulance, the state's attorney said.

Leitess said medics strapped Green onto the stretcher at his shoulders, midsection and legs.

The state's attorney said Green was secured face down in the prone position.

"During this time, it appeared that he was unable to move his body freely and could only raise his head and just the top part of his shoulders off of the stretcher," Leitess said. "It is at the end of this four minute time period that Mr. Green became unconscious and raises the question as to whether there is criminal responsibility for his resulting death."

Green suffered a cardiac arrest as medics placed him in the ambulance, The Capital reported.

The newspaper said the emergency room revived him, but he never regained consciousness.

Green died three days later at age 51, The Capital said.

No Criminal Wrongdoing Found

Dr. Victor Weedn conducted an autopsy and ruled Green's death a homicide, the state's attorney said.

Weedn clarified that he meant "homicide" only in the medical use of the word meaning death "at the hands of another," Leitess said. The examiner did not mean "homicide" in the way courts use the word when referring to criminal killings like fatal shootings.

"He believed that the paramedics were trying to help Mr. Green, but they didn’t follow the MIMMS protocols regarding the prone position, and they made a mistake that ultimately led to his death," the state's attorney said. "He explained that by placing Mr. Green in a prone position, this created the potential for the Co2 in his system to rise to a lethal level in just minutes which he could not expel from his lungs because he was restrained on the stretcher."

Weedn determined that the cause of Green's death was prone cardiac restraint with drug use contributing, Leitess said.

The state's attorney also said the doctor "didn’t observe any improper actions by the police that would have caused or contributed to Mr. Green’s death."

"There was no indication that this was an intentional act, nor a grossly negligent or extremely reckless act that caused his death," Leitess said. "I believe that Mr. Green’s death was the result either of an error in judgment or a lack of perception of the danger he faced during the 3- 4 minutes in question, but not criminal in nature."

Paramedic's Involvement

Leitess, however, said that an Annapolis Fire Department employee "made several material misstatements in a report, explaining why Mr. Green was in a prone position."

Weiss is a firefighter III and a paramedic. The 50-year-old woman is from Linthicum Heights. The mayor's office in March told Patch Weiss has been with the fire department for 9 years and still works there.

The state's attorney's letter to the Annapolis police and fire chiefs is posted here. Weiss' now voided charging document is available at this link.

Related: Medic Charged, Video Released After Annapolis Death Of Renardo Green