A man is dead after Baltimore police officers opened fire early Sunday morning following a high-speed chase that stretched nearly 20 minutes through city streets — and the weapon that triggered the fatal shooting was not what anyone expected.
The incident began around 1:25 a.m. when the Baltimore Police helicopter, Foxtrot, spotted a vehicle linked to an armed carjacking out of Baltimore County. Officers on the ground were immediately notified and began pursuing the suspect through the city.
According to Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley, the suspect drove at high speeds, running through multiple stop signs and red lights before finally stopping along Clifton Avenue.
What happened next would prove deadly.
Officers moved in and surrounded the vehicle. The suspect locked the doors and refused to come out. As one officer prepared to break open a window to gain entry, another officer spotted what appeared to be a firearm — and shouted “gun.”
Multiple officers opened fire.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
When investigators searched the vehicle, they did not find a real gun. What they recovered was a replica BB gun — one that, according to Commissioner Worley, was nearly indistinguishable from a real firearm.
“It looks like a real gun, and the officer has no way of knowing,” Worley said.
No officers were injured during the chase or the shooting.
All officers involved have been placed on routine administrative leave, a standard procedure during active investigations. The Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division (IID) has taken over the investigation into the shooting.
Commissioner Worley addressed the outcome directly, placing responsibility on the suspect’s decisions.
“The individual fled at high rates of speed throughout the city. He totally disregarded multiple stop signs and red lights,” Worley said. “Unfortunately, instead of complying and giving up, we are having this press conference.”
The identity of the suspect has not yet been publicly released. The investigation remains ongoing.
