Bodycam: Gunman Fires at Police Vehicles, Advances on Baltimore Officers

By Maggie Trovato

Source Baltimore Sun

The Baltimore Police officers involved in a fatal shooting in the 3300 block of Wilkens Avenue last week were on patrol in the area when a man shot at their vehicles, police said Friday before releasing body-worn camera footage.

“Our officers did everything they could not to shoot that individual,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said during a news conference. “But if somebody is running at you, shooting a gun, you have to respond. The officers did an exceptional job.”

Worley said the officers, Sharod Watson, a 13-year veteran of the department, and Mark Rankine, a three-year veteran of the department, showed restraint. The commissioner said the officers tried to get Baltimore resident Louis Jackson, 46, to drop the .32-caliber revolver he held.

“I’m sorry that we unfortunately had to take deadly force,” Worley said. “But there was no other way for our officers to basically stop this individual because he was trying to kill both of our officers.”

In the body-worn camera footage released Friday, Watson can be heard calling in a report that his vehicle had been shot at. Footage shows Jackson running toward the patrol vehicle with a gun pointed in front of him. Shots are heard, and both Watson and Rankine are seen drawing their weapons. The footage then shows Jackson seen on the ground on Wilkens Avenue, in front of Ascension St. Agnes Hospital.

Responding to a call

The shooting occurred after Southwest District officers had been called to South Caton Avenue for a report of a man with a gun threatening to kill himself. The man was later identified as Jackson.

But, Baltimore Police Deputy Commissioner Brian Nadeau said, Watson and Rankine were not called to the report of the attempted suicide. They were on patrol in the area, he said.

Worley said Watson and Rankine, who are Southern District officers, had “no knowledge” of the call for the attempted suicide. He said Southwestern District officers responded to the apartment complex where the attempted suicide was reported, and learned that Jackson had left the premises.

Worley said the location of the shooting borders the Southern and Southwestern districts.

Rankine’s patrol car was shot first, police officials said. In footage, Rankine is heard saying that he didn’t realize his car had been shot at until hearing Watson’s report. He said he heard a noise, but he didn’t realize it was a gunshot.

Nadeau said that after Watson’s car was shot at, Watson reported it, made a U-turn, stopped his vehicle, and took cover behind the vehicle. As Jackson ignored Watson’s commands to drop the revolver and get on the ground, Rankine arrived, exited his vehicle and gave additional verbal commands to Jackson, Nadeau said.

Both officers ended up discharging their guns, Nadeau said. In total, Watson fired three rounds, Rankine fired five rounds and Jackson fired four rounds, he said.

Worley said Jackson didn’t approach any other vehicles or people.

“He was just targeting police officers,” Worley said.

Responding to mental health crises

Worley said that even though Watson and Rankine were unaware of the attempted suicide call, they did a great job of trying to de-escalate the situation.

Last week, police officials confirmed that one of the two officers involved in the shooting was certified through the department’s Crisis Intervention Team program.

The specialized 40-hour CIT training focuses on de-escalation, suicide intervention and behavioral health response. Officers also receive annual mental health response instruction department-wide.

Worley said every officer who goes through the academy receives the 40 hours of training. He said that he believes somewhere between 30% and 33% of the department has received this training.

As of May 1, about 29% of Baltimore patrol officers had completed CIT certification, according to department spokesperson Lindsey Eldridge.

Worley said he did not believe the city’s Mobile Crisis Team, which pairs a licensed clinician with a specially trained police officer, was sent to the call for the attempted suicide.

He said that for these calls, patrol officers would be sent first. In this case, he said, officers couldn’t locate Jackson when they arrived at the apartment complex.

“Unfortunately, in the time that the call happened and that the time that the shooting happened, [Jackson] crossed district boundaries,” Worley said.

Both Watson and Rankine remain on administrative leave, Worley said. An investigation into the shooting is being conducted by the Attorney General’s Office in coordination with the Baltimore Police Department.

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