Baltimore Ravens fan pleads guilty to assaulting Washington Commanders fans in Federal Hill
BALTIMORE -- A man seen in a viral video assaulting two men in Federal Hill after a Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders football game pleaded guilty Monday.
John Callis, 24, turned himself in to police after he was shown in a viral video wearing a Baltimore Ravens jersey, assaulting two 23-year-old men with Commanders' jerseys near Cross Street Market in Federal Hill on Oct. 13, 2024.
A judge later denied his request for bail.
"This was a vicious assault, frankly against complete strangers that were in Baltimore City just trying to enjoy their time getting food and drinks," said Scott Richman, attorney for the Commanders' fans.
Prosecutor Twila Driggins told the judge the victims were "humiliated" and "fearful" that Callis would attack again. Judge LaTina Burse Greene called the prosecutor's evidence "strong" and said the incident was an unprovoked assault, in her rejection of a defense proposal to release Callis on GPS monitoring to an outpatient treatment facility.
He was charged with one count of first-degree assault and three counts of second-degree assault, which carries a maximum of 55 years in jail, The Baltimore Banner reported.
Police said the two victims fled and lost personal belongings, including phones and a wallet. When they returned later to retrieve their missing phones, Callis allegedly assaulted them again, along with a third victim who jumped in after recognizing his friends.
Two of the victims suffered minor injuries, and the other victim was diagnosed with a concussion and memory loss, according to prosecutors.
At Callis' bail hearing, he admitted to daily cocaine use for four years, including on the day of the attack.
In November 2021, he was given probation before judgment after an "alcohol-fueled" assault in Towson where he beat a man unconscious in the middle of York Road.
He was also given probation in 2020 for a drunken assault in Delaware.
After seeing the video of the alleged assault, Callis was fired by his employer, Maury, Donnelly & Parr, Inc. in Cockeysville.
"As the judge pointed out, it's not the viralness of the video, it's the simple fact that you can leave your home and be attacked by someone you've never seen before for absolutely no other reason than the color of your jersey," Richman said.
Callis' sentence
On Monday, Callis was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all 10 years suspended, except 105 days of time served. The judge inside Baltimore City Court called Callis "an embarrassment to Ravens fans and the city."
While he will not remain incarcerated, Callis must serve five years of supervised probation and pay more than $4,000 in restitution. Per the plea agreement, he will also return to Sarasota, Florida, enter an inpatient drug treatment program and, upon completion, enter an outpatient program.
"We now have him in a position where we can say, 'OK, let's go ahead and start the fixing process and let's take this unfortunate situation and make it right,' and that's exactly what he's going to do," said Patrick Seidel, Callis' attorney.
Callis is also required to complete 90 AA meetings, attend anger management classes, and complete 100 hours of community service in Baltimore. The agreement also prohibits him from distributing or monetizing the viral attack video on any of his social media accounts.
"The behavior we saw in the video evidence in this case was abhorrent. There is never a scenario in which violence is acceptable in our city. Today's outcome clearly conveys that my office will not tolerate hate-filled acts. The victims in this case have shown tremendous courage, and we hope this resolution provides them with a sense of justice and closure," Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates said in a statement following the guilty plea.
Richman, the attorney for one of the victims, said his client is pleased with the outcome of the trial.
"Yes he's satisfied, and he is aware, obviously he's happy that the defendant is taking responsibility for his actions. All three of the boys want no contact from him," Richman said.
Seidel said he also felt the agreement was fair.
"The plea agreement is fair, it's reasonable, it's something that we've been advocating for for months now," he said. "You know when somebody has a problem, it's important to address the problem and put them in a situation and set them up for a path to success."
