Officer Caprio Death: Appeals Court Upholds Life Sentence For Murder

PERRY HALL, MD — The man who killed Officer Amy Caprio in 2018 will remain behind bars, and his sentence was constitutional, a judge ruled recently in the Maryland Court of Appeals.

Dawnta Harris was 17 when he was sentenced to life in prison with parole. Because he was given the possibility of parole, Harris — who is now 20 — cannot argue that his sentence violates the law, according to the appellate court.

The judges also dismissed his claim that Harris should have been charged with manslaughter by motor vehicle rather than felony murder.

Caprio's father told The Washington Post this week the death of his daughter "was a traumatic loss and it continues to be," although he said the upholding of the sentence was "reassuring."

In May 2019, a jury found Harris guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree burglary and theft from $1,500 to $25,000.

The conviction stemmed from the death of Caprio, a 29-year-old Fallston resident who worked as a police officer in the Parkville precinct. The medical examiner ruled her death homicide as the result of traumatic injuries. Video at trial reportedly showed Harris ran her over with a stolen Jeep.

The afternoon of May 21, 2018, Caprio was responding to a call about suspicious circumstances in Perry Hall. Several people were walking around houses on Linwen Way, and as she was on the way there, police said she was informed there was a suspect vehicle described as a black Jeep.

Caprio called for clearance of radio transmissions as she approached the Jeep, which authorities said was stolen, as she recognized a potentially dangerous situation.

The driver — later identified as Harris, 16 — refused orders she gave him eight times to get out of the vehicle, WJZ reported. Instead, Harris drove toward Caprio, who was standing in front of her patrol car and was able to fire a single round into the Jeep's windshield before he hit her.

A judge also denied Harris a new trial when he appealed his conviction in 2019.

“Justice prevailed again today in the case against the suspect charged in the heinous murder of Police Officer First Class Amy Caprio," the Baltimore County Police Department said in a statement following the June 8 opinion from the Maryland Court of Appeals. "I want to thank the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office and all of the members of our Department who worked tirelessly to bring justice for Amy. Please continue to keep her family, friends, and colleagues in your thoughts and prayers.”

Caprio was awarded the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery on March 19, 2021.

Related:

• Teen Sentenced In Officer Amy Caprio Murder
• Slain Officer Amy Caprio Given Hero's Send-Off In Harford County
• Officer Amy Caprio Memorial Featured At Parkville Precinct
• Officer Caprio Mourned In Perry Hall 2 Years After Her Death