Knife-Wielding Man Shot By Police In Northeast Baltimore

RadioOnFire.com - A man wielding knives was injured in a police-involved shooting Friday morning in northeast Baltimore.

The shooting happened on 3300 block of Greenmount Avenue near East 33rd Street around 9:30 a.m., witnesses said.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis held a news conference shortly before 11:30 a.m. to provide an update on the situation.

"Earlier this morning we received a 911 call for a man armed with knives who was threatening folks in and out of this business area, right here in a busy part of Waverly, the day after Thanksgiving. He was also threatening people who were waiting at the bus stop with the knives, so that generated a 911 call to the Baltimore Police Department. We responded immediately," Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said.

Davis said three uniformed police officers responded to the scene and issued verbal commands to the suspect, but he refused to drop the knives. Officers then used a Taser on the man, but it did not take effect, Davis said.

"None of those efforts worked to disarm this man," Davis said. "Two of our police officers then discharged their firearms and they struck the suspect several times. I don't know exactly how many. He's in critical condition right now."

The man is being treated at a local hospital. He has not been identified.

At least one officer was wearing a body camera, Davis said.

"We're in the process of reviewing that body-worn camera right now for that footage, and if and when that footage is retrieved and is of value to share with (the media) and the community, it's certainly our intention to do that," Davis said.

Davis praised the officers called to the scene for their efforts.

"I'm so proud of these officers the way they responded to the scene, the way they attempted to de-escalate. Unfortunately, that didn't work and then their use of a non-lethal tool, like a Taser, is something that we train and we expect of our police officers, and by all accounts, preliminarily, they did just that," Davis said.

The armed man's motive were not clear, police said.

"I'm not sure what his state of mind was. I think it's safe to say it was unstable. It was threatening. It was menacing, and thank God none of our citizens got hurt out here," Davis said.

Officers rendered first aid right after shooting the suspect, Davis said.

This is the second police-involved police shooting this week.

Source WBAL