New details reveal chaotic events as man shot at police, robbed couple on trail in Pikesville

Baltimore County detectives arrested a 38-year-old man after police said he flashed a man, robbed a couple at gunpoint and shot a police officer, all in the span of about 30 minutes at a Pikesville park on Sunday.

The man, identified Tuesday as Shaka Kamara, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault and several gun offenses, including possession of a firearm with a felony conviction, according to police.

Kamara doesn’t yet have an attorney listed in online court records. He is being held without bond.

Three police officers — identified in charging documents as Officers Catalfamo, Poswiatowsky and Adams — responded around 8:50 a.m. Sunday for a report of indecent exposure at the Milford Mill Gwynn Falls Trail in Villa Nova Park and met with the complainant.

The person said he was riding his bike along a trail when a man pulled down his pants and exposed his genitalia, according to charging documents. The officers headed east on the trail and came across a man matching the description of the suspect and called out to him.

“Come here, bro,” Catalfamo said, according to charging documents. “Come here.”

A minute later, that person, whom police later identified as Kamara, fled on foot, prompting a chase. Kamara stopped and took a “bladed stance” while concealing a gun in his right hand, court documents said.

Catalfamo walked toward Kamara, asking why he had run, according to the documents.

Kamara then shot Catalfamo twice, documents said, once in the head and once in his lower neck area, with a revolver. After Catalfamo fell to the ground, Kamara exchanged gunfire with Poswiatowsky and ran away toward a parking lot, according to authorities.

During his second attempt to flee, Kamara robbed a man and woman walking the trail at gunpoint, taking a handgun from the man and threatening to kill the couple, police said.

After the threat, police said, Kamara paused and asked the man he was robbing to call his mother for him. The man did, but Kamara’s mother did not answer.

Another policeman — identified in charging documents as Officer Fleck — responded to Catalfamo being shot and arrived at 9:14 a.m. Fleck approached Kamara and the robbery victim.

“Where they at?” he asked, according to charging documents.

Kamara then shot at Fleck with the stolen gun. The officer fired back, striking Kamara.

Police said the robbery victim was also shot in his left buttock during this exchange.

It remains unclear how many shots were exchanged between police and Kamara.

Police rendered aid to the officer, suspect and robbery victim, and all three were taken to nearby hospitals with gunshot wounds. Detectives later recovered both the handgun and revolver from the scene, police said.

The shooting shut down a mile-long stretch of Milford Mill Road for hours as officials investigated. On Monday, county police said all three people were in stable condition and recovering from their injuries.

Court records show this was not Kamara’s first run-in with the law. He has been charged with numerous crimes in the past and was convicted of an armed carjacking in Baltimore in 2016. The conviction prohibited Kamara from possessing a gun in Maryland.

Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough condemned the shooting and said the incident showed how “dangerous” and “unpredictable” policing can be in America.