Man killed after exchanging gunfire with officers in North Baltimore, police say
A 26-year-old man was killed after a shootout with police Monday afternoon in North Baltimore, which blocked a portion of York Road, according to police.
The shooting in the 4600 block of York Road was reported around 1:30 p.m. and prompted a response from Baltimore Police Commissioner Worley and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.
"We had an unfortunate incident where someone lost their life, and we feel for their family, but this is another example of where we cannot and will not have people indiscriminately walking around with illegal guns, and willing to use them and shoot them indiscriminately at police officers in the middle of the day, on a block that is always full of people," Mayor Scott said.
Worley said the man took off running when officers tried to approach.
Three officers began chasing the man on foot, and one officer chased the man while in a patrol car, according to the Maryland Attorney General's Office.
During the chase, officials said the man pulled out a handgun. He was ordered to drop the gun several times, but he did not comply.
That's when, according to Worley, he fired shots at officers, hitting the police vehicle multiple times. Police said he continued to exchange gunfire with officers, and officers shot the man multiple times.
He was taken to the hospital, where he died, according to Worley.
Police located a gun with an extended magazine at the scene.
No officers or pedestrians were injured.
"This is an area where we've had some violence recently, they saw someone they wanted to speak to, and as (the officers) got out of the vehicle, the suspect took off running, withdrew the weapon, the officers ordered him multiple times to drop the weapon, instead, he elected to shoot at one of our officers that was in the vehicle, and our officers returned fire, shooting the suspect," Worley said.
The officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave, per protocol, pending an investigation.
How Maryland investigates shootings involving officers
Any deadly or near-fatal incidents that involved police in Maryland are investigated by the Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division (IID).
Baltimore Police said their internal investigation team is working with the Attorney General's Office to investigate Monday's shooting.
The IID will identify the man and release body-cam footage as the investigation plays out.
Since the IID was created in 2021, it has investigated more than 70 fatal or near-fatal incidents involving police in Maryland. About 13 of those investigations involved Baltimore City Police, according to the IID.
Recently, the IID began investigating a shooting that involved a Baltimore County Police officer. The shooting occurred in April after reports of a man armed with a bow and arrow.
The shooting prompted school lockdowns and sparked concerns for neighbors in the Arbutus community.
The Baltimore County shooting left the man dead. Several arrows were recovered from the scene as officials said he had been shooting at passing cars.
One of the recent investigations in Baltimore was in October 2024. According to the OAG, a Baltimore Police officer shot and killed Robert Phillip Nedd Jr. after he was seen driving the wrong way, hitting a parked car, then brandishing a gun while attempting to flee from police.
In March, the IID determined that the officer who was involved in the incident would not be charged for the fatal shooting.
Data shows drop in Baltimore crime
The shooting comes as Baltimore continues to see a drop in violent crime.
The city recorded a historically low number of homicides in April, with only five reported. It represented a 61.5 % drop in one year, as 13 homicides were reported in April 2024.
According to Mayor Brandon Scott, non-fatal shootings are down 27% between May 2024 and May 2025.
On Monday, Gov. Wes Moore reported a similar downward trend in homicides statewide, saying Maryland has seen one of the most significant drops in homicides and non-fatal shootings two years into his term.
