BALTIMORE — A man is currently in critical condition after he was shot by two officers early Wednesday morning.
The shooting happened in North Baltimore in the 5800 block of Falkirk Road and, according to Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, two police officers arrived to the home after receiving a call from a family member about a man having a behavior crisis.
Commissioner Harrison says that the officers shot the man when he pulled out a weapon, after they entering the home. Officials later learned that the subject had an additional handgun on him after the incident happened.
This is the description of the officer involved shooting from @BaltimorePolice Commissioner Michael Harrison. @WMAR2News #GMM2 pic.twitter.com/IidzIENmwT
— Erin MacPherson (@ErinTVnews) July 1, 2020
The officers involved were not hurt and Baltimore Police are currently looking into exactly what lead to the shooting, including examining body cam footage.
No age or any other information has been released on the subject, but, BPD is expecting to learn more about exactly what his behavior crisis entailed.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released a statement on the situation later in the day that read, in part:
In Maryland, this has become a disturbingly familiar pattern – where officers called to assist someone in mental distress instead trigger a crisis, failing to see the person’s humanity and shooting instead of helping.
The ACLU and other officials, like Zeke Cohen, wonder if this situation would've been handled better if a clinician was called to the scene, instead of police.
City Council President Brandon Scott also released a statement on the incident. Similar to the ACLU, he expresses concern and is waiting to view the BPD's body camera footage.
Yesterday evening I spoke with Commissioner Harrison regarding the police-involved shooting in Northeast Baltimore. I look forward to seeing the body camera footage in the coming days. This incident further highlights the need for us to reimagine how we tackle behavioral health issues in Baltimore. It also illuminates how complex and tense these situations can be, especially when guns are involved.
While it is unfortunate that someone was shot, I am relieved that neither the other residents of the home nor responding officers were injured. I plan to comment after reviewing the footage from the incident and remain committed to reimagining how we approach public safety in Baltimore.
