Teen shot by Baltimore officer during chase in stable condition; officer identified
BALTIMORE -- A teenager who was allegedly armed during a chase when he was shot last week by a Baltimore police officer is in stable condition, police said Monday.
Police identified the officer who opened fire as Detective Cedric Elleby, who has been a member of the BPD since 2019. The teen was previously identified by his family as 17-year-old Mekhi Franklin.
Officers attempted to stop Franklin, who was believed to be concealing a firearm, around 1:30 p.m. Thursday in West Baltimore, police said. The teen allegedly fled and the officers gave pursuit on foot.
Police claim that during the chase, Franklin produced a loaded handgun with an extended magazine.
Franklin was allegedly given verbal commands to drop the weapon, but the chase continued on to the 300 block of S. Catherine Street, where Elleby opened fire, striking the teen. He was hospitalized in critical condition.
Franklin's mother told WJZ the officer shot her son twice. Video footage shows him bleeding in an alleyway near Frederick Avenue and South Catherine Street in the Shipley Hill community.
Kieria Franklin said last week she wants answers.
"One bullet almost hit his spleen, and the other bullet went through his bladder," she said.
Elleby is a member of a District Action Team, one of the Baltimore Police Department's specialized units that focus on proactive patrols, warrant apprehension and other measures in areas of Baltimore where gun violence is most frequent.
In this case, police said, the officer was sitting on a stoop interacting with a resident when he spotted the teen.
The incident remains under investigation by BPD's Special Investigations Response Team. The Maryland Attorney General's office told WJZ Friday it will not be investigating the shooting at this time.
