BALTIMORE, MD – Baltimore’s spending board has unanimously approved a $400,000 settlement on July 1 following a federal lawsuit involving a 16-year-old who was run over by a police SUV during a 2021 foot chase.
The Incident and Severe Injuries
The incident occurred on June 14, 2021, in Baltimore’s Harlem Park neighborhood. According to court documents, officers were pursuing suspects linked to an armed carjacking when the chase turned into a foot pursuit.
The lawsuit alleges that Sergeant Steven Reed steered and accelerated a department-issued Ford Police Interceptor Utility SUV directly into 16-year-old Devonte Jett from behind. Jett was run over and suffered severe injuries, including:
- A collapsed lung
- Pelvic fractures
- A severe concussion resulting in lasting memory loss
The “Roadblock” Legal Battle
City lawyers initially fought the lawsuit by arguing the incident was an unavoidable accident. They claimed Jett unexpectedly stepped into the path of the patrol vehicle as it was attempting to set up a lawful “roadblock.”
However, the plaintiff’s complaint fiercely disputed this, stating the moving 5,000-pound SUV was essentially weaponized. Under modern law enforcement use-of-force policies, steering a heavy, moving vehicle at a fleeing pedestrian is legally classified as deadly force—the equivalent of firing a service weapon.
The Role of Vehicle Black Boxes
Automotive experts and data analysts note that modern police-spec Ford Explorers are equipped with Event Data Recorders (EDRs). Under federal regulations, these “black boxes” automatically capture critical pre-crash data, including:
- Exact vehicle speed
- Throttle/acceleration percentage
- Brake application seconds before impact
This digital evidence likely played a key role in the city’s sudden decision to settle the case for $400,000 from the municipal budget rather than risking a trial in federal court.
Officer Status and Internal Backlog
The Board of Estimates’ unanimous vote highlights ongoing scrutiny over the Baltimore Police Department’s use of force under its federal consent decree.
Payroll records revealed that Sergeant Reed remained on active duty for years after the 2021 incident, collecting over $700,000 in salary and overtime before being suspended with pay in January 2025 over a separate, unrelated matter. Police officials confirmed the internal investigation into the crash has concluded, but the results have not been made public due to a backlog of over 800 disciplinary cases.
