Mother of teen shot by Baltimore Police grateful son is alive, worried about recovery process
BALTIMORE -- A 17-year-old boy is recovering at a local hospital after he was shot by an officer in Southwest Baltimore.
The teenager was allegedly armed and running away from officers in the Shipley Hill area when he was shot a few minutes after 1 p.m. on Thursday, according to authorities.
He was originally listed in critical condition, but on Thursday night he was out of surgery and asking for his mother, Kiera Franklin.
Franklin told WJZ that although her son's recovery process is still unknown, she's just thankful that he is alive.
"I got a phone call that my son was laying on the ground shot by a police officer," she said. "I immediately ran there."
An officer assigned to a specialized unit in West Baltimore was sitting on a stoop when he noticed that the teen displayed the traits of an armed person, according to authorities.
Police say the officer tried to approach the teen, and that's when he took off running down an alleyway with a weapon in his hand.
"The officer ordered the individual to drop the weapon numerous times," Deputy Commissioner Richard Worley said. "As officers turned the corner, [the] individual is running with the weapon in his hand he refused to drop it after multiple commands. The officer shot."
The sound of gunfire echoed throughout the neighborhood.
"Next thing you know, all the officers started coming from each way," April Lovins, who witnessed the shooting, said.
The chaotic moments surrounding the shooting were captured on video.
"I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I didn't know what to think," Franklin said of the shooting. "I lost my mind."
Franklin shared a picture with WJZ of her son.
Police said their officer recovered the weapon the teen allegedly possessed. It had an extended magazine, according to authorities.
Franklin said she is grateful that her son is alive.
"Thank God he's not dead, and hopefully, pray to God, he's not paralyzed behind this," she said.
Police say they have a lot of body-worn footage to review. As of right now, no charges have been filed.
