Baltimore police officer suspended after video shows him chasing person with patrol car before crash
A Baltimore police officer has been suspended after a video went viral that showed him driving aggressively and nearly running over a person with his cruiser in West Baltimore.
The video shows a person running away, and the officer following through a grassy field and in the Park Heights neighborhood, before crashing his patrol car.
The chase spanned the intersection of Park Heights and Wylie avenues, as well as a vacant lot, the sidewalk, and a back-alley way. The video so far has garnered tens of thousands of views online.
"The contents of the video are deeply concerning," said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. "The officer in question has been suspended, and the situation is under investigation. This investigation will be thorough, in accordance with all laws and regulations, to ensure proper accountability."
The officer has been identified as Robert A. Parks, according to the BPD. He has been with the department since 2020.
It is unclear what led up to the incident or if there were any injuries.
The Baltimore Police Department said it has opened an internal affairs investigation and is reviewing the officer's body-worn camera footage.
"What is seen in this video is not only disturbing, but alarming," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said. "This is not how we expect our officers to behave, and this incident does not reflect the values or standards of the Baltimore Police Department. Our department continues to work hard to rebuild trust and change the narrative of our department and our city. We remain committed to holding officers accountable for their actions and continuing the work of rebuilding trust with our community."
Park Heights neighbors react to police pursuit
Residents in Baltimore's Park Heights neighborhood said they were shocked to see this scene unfold on their streets.
T Man, a neighbor who lives next door to where the crash happened, said he didn't expect to see a police car through his neighbor's fence. Now, he says he has to look both ways just to put his trash out.
"I expected more than this. It's not safe," T Man said. "It's scary to me now to bring my trash here because I have to look because I don't know what's going to come."
Park Heights resident Elijah Monte told WJZ he's had mixed interactions with officers, while Police Commissioner Worley says his department continues to try and build trust with Baltimoreans.
"It's crazy a police officer is trying to run somebody over for supposedly nothing," Monte said. "I feel like the police aren't looking out for the people; they're looking out for a quota or something like that. It's scary for our people to have the police hop out on us like that, especially when we feel like we haven't done anything wrong."
