BALTIMORE — Three Baltimore Police officers involved in the shooting death of a juvenile last summer have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing.
The tragic incident took place August 5, 2024 around N. Stricker and W. Fayette Streets.
That's where on-duty plain clothes detectives Devon Lomax, Shariff Kellogg, and Thomas Smith pulled up in an unmarked patrol car to engage a group of people loitering in front of a home.
As officers approached the group began dispersing in different directions. Among them was a juvenile, appearing to check his waistband, a common characteristic of an armed person.
The juvenile in question started to run away with police giving chase.
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Lomax eventually caught up with the armed juvenile, but he broke free and raised a gun in the direction of detectives Kellogg and Smith.
Despite repeated orders to drop the weapon, the juvenile refused, resulting in all three detectives firing and killing him.
Police recovered a loaded fully-operable 9mm Luger handgun near the juvenile's body, although investigation revealed he did not shoot.
An autopsy determined the juvenile sustained a dozen gunshot wounds, including to the face and neck.
Crime scene evidence suggests Lomax fired seven rounds, with Smith firing twelve, and Kellogg two.
The Maryland Attorney General's Office provided this explanation as to why charges wouldn't be filed.
"Juvenile’s behavior posed a threat to the safety of the subject officers. Detective Smith and Detective Kellogg ordered Juvenile to get down on the ground or they would shoot. Juvenile ignored the subject officers’ commands and instead displayed the handgun. Juvenile lifted the handgun and pointed it in the direction of Detective Kellogg and Detective Smith, creating an imminent threat of deadly force. In short, Juvenile’s behavior required that the subject officers fire their guns at him for their own safety."
To read the Attorney General's full investigative findings, click here.
