BALTIMORE —
A man is in critical condition after being shot by a Baltimore police officer near the Erdman Shopping Center in northeast Baltimore Thursday afternoon.
According to police, the incident occurred just after 12:15 p.m., when an officer working crime suppression in the area began speaking with a man near the entrance of the shopping center.
Baltimore Police Chief of Patrol Col. Ryan Lee said the situation escalated when the man fled from the officer.
“The male continued to flee from the officer when he pulled a firearm and pointed it at the officer. The officer fired multiple rounds, striking the individual,” Lee said.
Investigators said they are unsure how many shots the officer fired or whether the man fired his weapon.
“The officers located a weapon, which is a semi-automatic handgun at the scene,” Lee said.
Officers arriving at the scene provided first aid to the man, who was then transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
Officers recovered a handgun at the scene, and the man who was shot has not been identified.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott expressed concern about the incident and emphasized the potential danger to the community.
“This is a traumatic incident for this neighborhood,” Scott said. “We will not have individuals willingly walking around carrying firearms and pulling a firearm out in a place which is right next to a library, right next to a child care center, where there could have been children or elderly there.”
Police said body camera footage from the officer confirms their account of the incident.
“We don’t know why the individual chose to flee. What we are certain that the individual turnaround point of firearm, the officer and the officer responded in a manner to protect his own life,” Lee said.
The Special Investigations Response Team is conducting an investigation into the shooting, and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement is also preparing a response.