BALTIMORE, MD – A man was shot and killed by Baltimore police officers after he allegedly pointed a firearm at them during a foot chase on Tuesday afternoon, according to city officials.
The incident unfolded in a southwest Baltimore neighborhood, an area that has become synonymous with frequent gun violence. Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley revealed that the officers were on patrol when they encountered a man they suspected was armed. When officers attempted to confront him, the man fled, leading to a pursuit.
In the course of the chase, the man reportedly drew his firearm. An officer tried to tackle him, but the situation escalated when the man allegedly aimed his gun at the officers, prompting them to respond with gunfire, Commissioner Worley detailed.
An officer was slightly injured during the incident. Initially, it was believed the officer had been shot due to blood on his uniform. However, further investigations revealed this was not the case, Worley clarified.
The exact number of officers who fired their weapons during the incident, as well as whether the man discharged his handgun, is currently undetermined. The man, whose identity remains undisclosed, was later declared dead at a nearby hospital.
The officers involved in the incident are part of a District Action Team, a specialized unit of the Baltimore Police Department that conducts proactive patrols in the city’s most violence-ridden areas. Although they don’t wear traditional police uniforms, their vests clearly identify them as law enforcement officials, Worley noted.
The police department has been under scrutiny following a similar incident earlier this year that left a teenager in critical condition. In both situations, the officers were carrying out proactive patrols and attempted to detain individuals they believed were armed. Commissioner Worley defended the officers’ actions in both cases, stating they had repeatedly ordered the man to drop his weapon before resorting to deadly force.
The Baltimore Police Department has been operating under a federal consent decree since 2017, which mandates a series of court-ordered reforms aimed at eliminating unconstitutional policing practices and rebuilding community trust. This decree was established following the U.S. Justice Department’s discovery of longstanding patterns of excessive force, unlawful arrests, and biased policing.