Baltimore Police body-worn video shows deadly shooting of carjacking suspect with BB gun

The Baltimore Police Department released body-worn camera video Friday showing the deadly shooting of a carjacking suspect found with a BB gun last weekend in Walbrook Junction.  

City police said they fired more than 70 rounds after they believed the man, identified as 42-year-old Maurice Daniels of Millersville, reached for a weapon. That weapon turned out to be a BB gun.

Daniels was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No officers were injured.

What led up to deadly shooting

Six officers were involved in the shooting shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday, July 5. 

Police said their chopper spotted a 2010 Dodge minivan that had been reported stolen after an armed carjacking the day before in Towson. They tracked the van for nearly 20 minutes before officers finally corned the vehicle near Clifton and Dennison. 

"You have an officer standing right next to the window with a glass-breaking device. That officer doesn't even have his weapon out. He's got the device to break the glass," Baltimore City Police Commissioner Richard Worley explained during a news conference Friday. "The officer that's coming up from the angle, sees the gun — yells, 'Gun, gun, gun,' three times or more, and then he starts to back up and then, unfortunately, Mr. Daniels lowers his hand, and the officer shoots."

Police said the gun the officer saw inside the van was a BB gun, but it looked like the real thing. 

"It's dark, so when you see that black gun, it looks just like a Colt 1911. It's not marked, it's not orange, it's not yellow. It has no markings on it, and again, it's dark," said Deputy Commissioner Brian Nadeau. "So when the officer sees that -- and the individual was compliant at the beginning, had both hands up -- but you can clearly see that he starts to lower one of his hands."

The commissioner also pointed out that Daniels opened the door of the vehicle, then quickly closed and locked it as police approached. 

Officers remain on administrative leave

One witnessing officer who did not fire his weapon has spoken to investigators. Police tell WJZ Investigates the rest have not and remain on administrative leave, which is routine in cases like this. 

"I can't tell you what the officers thought, but I have to believe what they thought and what they did was what they believed was right," said Worley.

WJZ tried to reach out to Daniels' family but has not heard back. Police say they provided family members with these videos, as well as turned them over to the state attorney general's office. 

The AG's office is leading the investigation and has identified the following officers involved in the incident:

Officer Charles Blackman, a 6-year veteran; Officer David Weldon, a 5-year veteran; Sergeant Kevin Rivera, an 8-year veteran; Officer Antonio Groomes, a 5-year veteran; Officer Darrius Hicklin, a 3-year veteran, and Officer Al-Shakier Drake, an 8-month veteran. 

All officers are assigned to the Operations Bureau. 

Commissioner Worley called the video "difficult to watch" and said his "thoughts remain with the Daniels family."

Worley also said, "This incident is concerning, and we remain dedicated to a full and thorough investigation."