Baltimore Police officer guilty of assault, but not attempted murder, judge rules

A Baltimore Police officer who was captured in a viral video driving directly at a man with his patrol vehicle during a pursuit was found guilty of second-degree assault, misconduct in office and reckless driving, a judge ruled Thursday.

But the judge found him not guilty of the most serious charges lodged against him: attempted murder and first-degree assault.

The verdict from Baltimore Circuit Judge Dana Middleton followed a two-day bench trial for Officer Robert Parks, a six-year veteran.

The case marked the most serious prosecution of a police officer in Baltimore in several years. When prosecutors do charge officers, it’s often for less serious offenses such as assault or time sheet padding.

Prosecutors argued that Parks escalated the encounter and almost cost Antrell Smith his life. But the defense attorneys contended that the police officer was simply doing his job.

Parks is free on home detention. He remains suspended without pay.

Testimony and evidence presented at trial revealed that on Oct. 28, 2025, Parks drove up to Wylie Liquors Bar in Northwest Baltimore and told people who were sitting on the sidewalk to move.

They obeyed his commands. But Parks followed Smith and summoned him to his patrol vehicle because he had an open warrant for failing to appear in court.

Smith refused and walked away. That’s when Parks turned into an alley, accelerated and drove directly at Smith, hitting him with the patrol vehicle in a field.

A video posted to TikTok shows Parks continuing to pursue Smith before crashing into the fence of a nearby home.

Smith, 46, of Northwest Baltimore, testified that he did not know why Parks was chasing him. He said he was unaware he had a bench warrant.

“I was scared for my life,” Smith said.

In his closing argument, Assistant State’s Attorney Steven Trostle, chief of the Public Trust and Police Integrity Unit, said Parks acted in a way that “put everyone in peril” and was “patently unreasonable.”

“He got ticked off that this man had the audacity to walk away from him,” Trostle said.

Parks, he said, then concocted a story to “explain himself out of his absurd behavior.”

“Your honor,” Trostle said, “these videos speak for themselves.”

But Chaz Ball, Parks’ attorney, said his client was trying to bring Smith into custody.

“Officer Parks had no intent to kill him,” Ball said. “It was a calculated decision to corral a criminal.”

Ball argued that Parks turned on his body camera because he did not believe he was doing anything wrong.

Parks, 32, testified that he believed Smith was armed based on his movements — he repeatedly called him a “fleeing felon with a potential firearm” — and that Smith posed a danger to the city.

But on cross-examination, Parks conceded that he never saw a gun.

Parks denied that he struck Smith or even came close to hitting him with his patrol vehicle. At one point in his testimony, he said, “I will acknowledge he ran in front of my vehicle.”

He said he used tactics that he learned in the police academy, including deescalation. He said he “still wouldn’t change it.”

“I have no vendetta against Mr. Smith,” Parks testified. “I’m not angry at him now.”

This story will be updated.