Findings released in police shooting inside Baltimore barbershop that left two dead

BALTIMORE -- The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Office of Attorney General released its report into the findings of a police shooting inside a Baltimore barbershop that left two people dead in November 2021.

Surveillance video and photos were released of the attack that happened along O'Donnell Street.

Sgt. David Burch was in the chair getting a haircut when Carlos David Ortega walked into the barbershop and started shooting.

Barber Rafael Jeffers was shot before Burch, who was off-duty at the time, pulled a gun from a bag he was carrying and shot Ortega six times.

Both Jeffers and Ortega died.      

Back in July, prosecutors decided they wouldn't bring any charges against the sergeant.

The findings showed Jeffers was standing over Burch at Bladi Style Barbershop when Ortega walked in, grabbed a gun from his waistband, walked toward Jeffers and Burch, and shot Jeffers two times.

According to the report, Ortega then yelled at Burch in Spanish to move and motioned for Burch, who was still seated in the barber seat, to move.

Then, as Burch moved behind Mr. Ortega, he reached into the satchel he was wearing and retrieved his personal Glock Model 27 .40 caliber handgun. With his back to Burch, Mr. Ortega walked toward Jeffers, who was lying on the ground.

Six seconds after Jeffers was shot, Burch fired his handgun at Ortega six times. Ortega fell on top of  Jeffers, and his gun fell out of his hand.

According to the report, Burch then aimed his weapon at the front door of the shop and then moved the barber chair, which allowed him to grab Ortega's left arm and move him off Jeffers.

Burch instructed the other barbershop employee, to call the police.

Burch told dispatch that he was an off-duty officer and "my barber was shot, and I got a suspect down." He further advised that he was armed with a handgun and was covering the front door of the shop because he did not know if there were any other suspects.

Responding officers located a black 2017 Ford Escape outside of the barbershop that was registered to Mr. Ortega's daughter, according to the report. A search of the vehicle revealed bloody paper towels between the driver's door and seat, a 9mm ammunition box on the back seat, and 39 live 9mm rounds on the floor near the rear passenger seat.

While not known to Burch at the time, a subsequent investigation revealed that Ortega had been involved in a series of violent incidents earlier that day. At approximately 2:30 p.m. at East Oliver Street in Baltimore, Ortega was stabbed with a knife. He then retrieved a handgun from his apartment and shot the man multiple times while he was seated in his car. Ortega then got in his own vehicle and fled the scene, according to the report.