Baltimore Police drop bodycam footage from 3 shootings by officers

Baltimore Police on Monday released body camera and private video footage of three nonfatal shootings by its officers.

The department’s Special Investigation Response Team and the state’s attorney’s office are investigating the three incidents, officials said. Some of those who were shot were also charged and jailed.

Here’s what happened in each incident, based on police accounts and body camera footage:

Police shoot man who dragged officer, fled traffic stop

Officer Rayon Lawrence, a two-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department, stopped Marquise Wells in Mount Vernon the night of Jan. 7 for a suspended license plate tag, officials said. According to body camera footage, Wells told Lawrence that the white Mercedes-Benz he was driving belonged to his girlfriend.

Still, the officer insisted he had to review the 29-year-old’s license and the vehicle’s registration. Lawrence asked Wells if he had any weapons or drugs in the car, but he didn’t respond.

After reviewing Wells’ license and the registration, Lawrence told Wells to get things with the car situated — whether it was his or not — as it’d be towed. That’s when Lawrence noticed what appeared to be a weapon on Wells and asked about it. Wells denied it was anything.

“That right there is not nothing. What is that?” Lawrence said.

“Nothing, sir,” Wells responded.

“Stop playing with me,” Lawrence said.

“I’m not playing no games,” Wells said.

“What is that?” Lawrence asked again.

“I don’t want no problems, officer,” Wells said.

Wells said he was not armed and was only in possession of a clip, though he did not say what type of clip. Police previously said the officer told Wells he was going to reach into the vehicle to disarm him.

Private video footage of the scene shows Lawrence reaching into the car to grab whatever was on the man, but Wells drives off, briefly dragging the officer, who suffered minor injuries.

Police say Lawrence’s weapon discharged twice and that Wells, once he fled the scene, checked into a nearby hospital for treatment. Wells now faces charges of first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and other traffic violations, officials said.

Police shoot man who led officers on chase across the city

Devin Thomas, 37, fled from a traffic stop near North Charles and East 21st streets just before 8 p.m. on Dec. 16 and led three officers to the 500 block of West Lanvale Street, officials said. Thomas crashed the black sport utility vehicle he was driving, put the car in reverse toward Officer Austin Gutridge — who then slipped on ice — and tried to drive off, body camera footage shows.

The three officers, Gutridge, Anthony Bennett and Jacob Redding, got out of their cars, approached Thomas on foot and told him to show his hands, officials said.

As Thomas accelerated forward, the officers fired a bevy of shots, cracking the truck’s back right window and sending Thomas’ vehicle toward a nearby curb. Andrew Brown, 61, fell out of the truck’s passenger seat and onto the curb.

As Redding arrested Brown, Thomas screamed from the truck.

“I’m shot, yo, I’m shot,” Thomas said as he staggered from the truck.

Bennett flung the 37-year-old over and cuffed his bloodied hands. Thomas was hit on his left hand, left thigh and upper back, officials said.

Thomas faces charges of second-degree assault and dangerous weapon with the intent to injure, online court documents show. He’s being held without bail and has a trial scheduled to begin on Jan. 26. The Banner reached out to the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, which is representing Thomas, for comment.

Police kill dog, shoot owner

Officer Latesha Holton, who has been with the department for three years, and Sgt. Jaamal Johnson, a 24-year veteran, responded on Oct. 26 to the 900 block of St. Paul Street to check on a dog owner concerned about his dog’s aggressive behavior. Holton and Johnson lingered in the hallway of the apartment building. They heard Kyle Sharp, 33, trying to control and calm his dog, Roscoe, behind one of the red doors, according to video footage shared by police.

Johnson suggested placing the dog in a bathroom, but Sharp said he couldn’t. The dog growled and barked loudly at Sharp before things spiraled.

“Help! He’s breaking my arm,” Sharp yelled.

Johnson told the man to open the door, but Sharp struggled to do so. Once Sharp opened the door, he backed out of the apartment with the snarling dog’s mouth around his hand. Both officers opened fire, killing the dog and striking Sharp in the leg.

Sharp was treated for his bites and the gunshot wound.

Fatal encounters with Baltimore Police in 2025

Four people died following interactions with police last year. The first was Jai Marc Howell, 26, whom police shot last May after he fired a weapon at them and ran. State officials declined to charge officers involved in Howell’s death.

Bilal Abdullah, 36, an arabber in the Penn North community, was fatally shot on June 17 by officers who were pursuing him for allegedly brandishing a weapon in the area. The officers involved won’t face charges, according to the state’s attorney general’s office, which investigates all fatal police encounters.

Within a week of Abdullah’s death, Baltimore Police officers were involved in two other West Baltimoreans’ deaths: Dontae Melton Jr., 31, died in police custody after a mental health episode, and police shot and killed Pytorcarcha Brooks, 70. Their cases remain under investigation by the AG office’s Independent Investigations Division.