Baltimore Police officers will not be charged in deadly shooting of armed man
Two Baltimore Police officers will not face charges in connection with the fatal shooting of an armed man in February, according to the Attorney General's office.
On Feb. 24, three detectives went into a store in the 3600 block of Belair Road. A man, later identified as Dwight Hawkins, left the store shortly after the detectives went in.
Pursuit leads to police shooting
Detectives began to follow Hawkins, prompting him to run from the area, according to the AG's office.
Detectives Arthur Fuog, a six-year veteran, and Omar Rodriguez, a seven-year veteran, gave Hawkins multiple commands to stop and show his hands, but he did not comply, officials said.
As he continued to run, Hawkins pulled out a gun, getting closer to Detective Fuog. The two detectives then fired their weapons, hitting Hawkins, officials said.
The detectives provided medical aid to Hawkins before he was taken to a hospital, where he died, officials said. A handgun was recovered near Hawkins at the scene.
The Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division (IID) investigated the incident and determined that the involved officers did not violate any Maryland laws. The AG's office has declined to prosecute the officers.
Family reacts
The family of Hawkins said they believe he was targeted because of his criminal history.
According to police, Hawkins was prohibited from owning a gun and was known to officers for a lengthy arrest record.
Hawkins' family said he turned his life around for his three children, despite his criminal history. They said Hawkins moved out of Baltimore to Hagerstown and had a steady job at a hotel in the city.
"I'm not saying that we was the perfect family, or he was the perfect child," Dwight Hawkins aunt, Lorraine Hawkins. "We all have a past. He did have a past, but it was about change. They did not have to gun him down the way they did."
