Video: Baltimore Police Officer Struck by Teenagers in Stolen Car

A Baltimore police officer suffered an injured ankle after three teenagers in a stolen car struck him before hitting his cruiser and another vehicle as they fled the scene.

Feb. 20, 2026

4 min read

What to know

The Baltimore police reported that an officer suffered an injured ankle while responding to a break-in call fired a shot after he was struck by a stolen Kia driven by a 14-year-old girl.
The girl, who had a wrist injury believed to be a possible bullet graze, and two 14-year-old boys were arrested and charged with aggravated assault and auto theft.
Officials said the incident is classified as a firearm discharge pending confirmation that the girl’s injury was a bullet graze from the officer's weapon.

By Chevall Pryce

Source Baltimore Sun

Three 14-year-olds were arrested this week after allegedly striking a Baltimore Police officer with a stolen vehicle days earlier, leading the officer to discharge his weapon, according to the department. One of the teens, a 14-year-old girl police said was the driver, had what police believed to be a bullet graze wound when arrested, possibly a result of the incident.

According to police, a Baltimore officer on patrol, William Cole, responded On Sunday at 12:05 a.m. to a call about armed individuals breaking into the caller’s home on the 800 block of West Lombard Street.

When Cole arrived, he saw a Kia sedan with multiple people in it. The driver put the vehicle into reverse and struck a parked car, police said in a Thursday news release.

As seen in a video released by the police department, Cole exited his patrol vehicle and drew his weapon as he walked toward the Kia. Cole issued verbal commands for the occupants to leave the vehicle.

The Kia reversed again and struck Cole, injuring his ankle, police said. Cole fired his weapon one time at the Kia before it fled in reverse, striking Cole’s patrol vehicle and another vehicle.

A man suffering from injuries then approached Cole from across the street before collapsing. Cole asked the man whether he was OK before administering aid. The man said, “I got set up,” as he collapsed to the ground. It’s unclear if his injuries were related to the incident with the car.

Shortly after, officers found the Kia unoccupied on the 100 block of South Arlington Avenue after it struck another parked car, police said. The car was reported stolen on Saturday on the 600 block of East Chase Street.

From January to May 2025, Baltimore Police made 283 arrests for auto thefts, with 72 of those arrested being under 18. In 2024, there were 715 auto theft arrests, 194 of them involving someone under 18. State’s Attorney Ivan Bates has highlighted youth crime in the past, stating in December 2023 that he would “hold the entire family accountable.”

An investigation using electronic monitoring identified two 14-year-old boys who were allegedly in the Kia at the time of the incident. Electronic monitoring is a surveillance tool, like an ankle monitor, used by law enforcement. Typically, individuals under electronic monitoring also have curfews.

Both boys had previously been charged with robbery and auto theft. They were arrested Monday.

On Tuesday, officers identified a 14-year-old girl as the driver of the stolen Kia sedan, the department said. Officers discovered that the girl had a wound on her right wrist, which she was treated for at a hospital Sunday. Detectives determined, after speaking with the girl’s mother, that the wound was a gunshot graze possibly caused by Cole shooting at the vehicle.

The girl was arrested Tuesday and charged with aggravated assault and auto theft. She was taken to juvenile booking before she was released on electronic monitoring.

The two boys were charged with aggravated assault and auto theft. Both were taken to juvenile booking and detained.

Cole was treated for the injury to his ankle before he was released from the hospital.

Mike Mancuso, president of the Baltimore City Lodge 3 Fraternal Order of Police, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Baltimore Police spokesperson said the department would not consider Sunday’s incident on West Lombard Street a shooting unless it is determined that the girl’s injury was caused by Cole. Until then, the incident is being considered a “discharge.”

As of Thursday, there have been three shootings by police in Baltimore City this year. One was fatal.

Authorities said that on Jan. 20, officers responding to calls of an armed suspect in Southeast Baltimore confronted Jamarl Muse on a bicycle. When police began to chase him, Muse attempted to flee down a highway entrance ramp but was tackled. During the struggle, Muse’s revolver went off and the surrounding officers fired several shots into him.

When the body-camera footage of Muse’s death was released, Deputy Commissioner Brian Nadeau said it’s “very hard” to accidentally fire a revolver and that the gun was not in a position where it could go off unless Muse had “actually pulled the trigger.”

A day before Muse’s death, Baltimore Police officers shot a woman holding a knife during a possible mental health crisis in Bolton Hill. The woman, who was injured in the leg, was treated and charged with assault, police said.

The city’s first police shooting in 2026 took place during a Jan. 7 traffic stop in Mount Vernon. The driver, who police say dragged an officer with his vehicle, was treated and charged with felony assault.

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