BALTIMORE — A former Baltimore Police Department (BPD) Officer Jordan Ali has been indicted on 11 counts for offenses that occurred on February 6, 2021 in Baltimore City while he was off-duty.
According to the indictment, on February 6, 2021, in the early hours after midnight, while off duty and in his personal vehicle, Ali approached a stopped vehicle owned and operated by Shayla Hugel, and her two friends: Amari Jones and Krisae Spence.
Ali allegedly asked where they were going, and they told him that they were heading to a party. He then asked if he could join them, and they declined the offer. The red light then turned green, so they drove away. After following them, Ali eventually caught up to Hugel and her friends at another intersection, and, again, asked if he could go with them to the party. They declined, and told him to stop following them.
The indictment adds that Ali continued to follow. Hugel, fearing for her and her friends’ safety, tried to take evasive maneuvers, but he continued his pursuit. Hugel used excessive speeds, including exceeding 100 mph, and allegedly Ali continued his pursuit of Hugel’s vehicle. The three occupants in Hugel’s vehicle feared for their safety.
During the time frame that Ali allegedly was pursuing Hugel, Jones and Spence, he drove his vehicle at speeds exceeding 100 mph, crossed left of double yellow lines, drove the wrong way into oncoming traffic, and avoided and ignored traffic control devices, all in an effort to continue his pursuit of the three women.
At one point during the pursuit, Ali followed Hugel’s vehicle so closely that he hit her rear bumper.
Thinking they had created distance on Ali, and in hopes of finding someone to help protect them should he approach again, Hugel drove her vehicle into a Royal Farm convenience store parking lot. Before any of the three friends got out of the car, Ali pulled into the parking space immediately to the left of Hugel and her vehicle. With his window down, Ali allegedly yelled, “Freeze – FBI.”
Hugel demanded identification and Ali allegedly refused, challenging her to get out of her car to look at his identification in his car. Hugel refused, which angered Ali. Ali then got out of his car, ran to the front of his car, which was near Hugel’s driver’s side door, lifted his shirt and motioned towards a firearm tucked inside of his pants at his waist, which put Hugel in fear of imminent serious bodily injury.
Hugel, taking advantage of Ali being outside of his car, quickly backed out of her parking space and attempted to flee again. Ali followed.
Hugel, not knowing where she was, saw a sign for an Emergency Room, and decided to seek refuge at that hospital. The hospital was the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Bayview Campus. She drove towards the emergency room, with Ali still tailing her.
When Hugel neared the main entrance of the emergency room, she noticed several ambulances. Hugel pulled over, and she and her two friends ran towards the emergency room. Sensing the urgency, a medic standing by an ambulance ushered the three women into the rear portion of the ambulance.
As soon as they were hidden in the ambulance, Ali pulled up. The medic was so alarmed, that he locked the ambulance and turned off the lights. Soon after, uniformed and on-duty police officers arrived to the scene.
Ali's offenses include First Degree Assault, three counts of Second Degree Assault, three counts of Harassment, Failure to Control Speed to Avoid Collision, Reckless Driving, and Negligent Driving.
Ali faces up to 55 years in prison and $5,500 in fines, if convicted of all charges.
"This office has sworn to apply one standard of justice across the board, regardless of race, religion, socio-economic status, or occupation," said State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby. "The behavior such as that alleged in this indictment is unacceptable and my office will work to ensure accountability and justice on behalf of the victims involved."
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at trial.
