Body-cam video shows police shooting of armed man after fight, chase in Baltimore

Baltimore police shared body-worn camera footage that captured the moment an armed man was shot by an officer after a fight and chase on April 2. 

Tayvon Newton, 35, was shot and injured in the 1700 block of Pennsylvania Avenue after officers responded to a fight that was seen on CCTV involving several people. Newton was seen during the fight armed with a knife, police said. 

According to police, Newton led officers on a chase and resisted when they tried to take a bag from him. Newton was shot during the struggle after police said he took possession of an officer's taser. He was critically injured and hospitalized. 

A handgun was recovered from the bag, and a knife was recovered from Newton, police said. 

On Friday, police said he was released from the hospital and charged with several offenses, including resisting arrest and multiple firearm charges.

WJZ has reached out to the Baltimore Police union for comment. 

Body-cam video of Baltimore police shooting 

The video begins by showing the CCTV footage of an altercation between a group on a sidewalk. Newton is seen in the video pointing a knife at a victim before a fight breaks out, police said. 

During the fight, a victim was pushed to the ground and hit several times by a group, the video shows. 

An officer later approaches Newton, and body-cam video shows him tackle Newton to the ground before a struggle over his bag begins. 

The officer — identified as four-year veteran Officer Devon Gubbar — is heard in the video saying, "You're gonna get tased," before deploying his taser, which had no effect on Newton. 

Newton grabs the taser as the officer demands that he let go. During the struggle, Officer Gubbar fires his weapon, hitting Newton as he is on the ground. 

According to police, officers began giving immediate medical aid to Newton until EMS personnel arrived. 

Police Commissioner Richard Worley said Newton is known to the department, as they recovered two handguns from him in the same area in 2025. 

The Special Investigation Response Team (SIRT) and Maryland State's Attorney's Office are investigating the incident, police said. 

Family and neighbors react 

Cellphone video obtained by WJZ showed a crowd gathering around police and Newton at the time of the incident. Neighbors at the scene told WJZ that the officer did not need to fire his weapon. 

Newton's family questioned why police shot him, saying he never posed a threat to officers. 

"Even if he had a weapon in his bag, which I'm not saying he did or didn't, but if he had one in his bag, he didn't pull it out," his sister, LaShawn Newton, said. "He wasn't threatening them. He wasn't pointing at them or anything. If he had it on him, he just had it on him. That's still no reason to shoot him in the back while he's lying on the ground."

Ta'Niya, who identified herself as Tavon Newton's daughter, told WJZ she is overwhelmed with the emotions of sadness and fear.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott also weighed in, saying incidents like this one traumatize the community and have an impact on the whole city. 

"Our hearts are with all of those affected by this incident in every way. With that in mind, I have directed the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) to activate a Coordinated Neighborhood Stabilization Response in the area surrounding the incident," Scott said.