Baltimore officer shoots driver after being struck by car near Lexington Market

A 29-year-old man and a Baltimore Police officer were hospitalized after an encounter near Lexington Market Saturday night that led to the officer shooting the man, officials said.

The officer was issuing a traffic citation around 9:30 p.m. Saturday in the 300 block of N. Eutaw Street and waiting on a tow truck to move a car that had expired and suspended tags, Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said in a news conference. The vehicle owner, the 29-year-old man who has also not been identified, approached the officer, officials said.

The officer told the man he’d be able to get any belongings out of the vehicle before it was towed, which was something he didn’t have to do, Worley said.

“He could’ve just towed it, but he allowed him to get in the car,” Worley said.

That’s when things took a left turn. The officer stood in front of the car while the man got into the driver’s seat, Worley said.

The man then put the car into motion and drove into the officer, officials said, briefly dragging him. The officer responded by firing his weapon at least three times towards the man’s vehicle and striking him, Worley said.

Some officers rendered aid to the man while others managed a rowdy crowd, Worley said.

“The crowd was a little rowdy afterwards because of what happened,” Worley said. “The numerous officers who got to the scene to assist had to direct all of their attention to hold the crowd back from getting to the vehicle, getting to the individual who was laying on the ground.”

The man was transported to the hospital in critical condition, police said. The officer was also hospitalized with neck and back injuries, officials said. Baltimore Police officials did not share updates on either of their conditions Sunday.

This year, Baltimore Police officers have fatally shot Louis Jackson, Jonathan Ingram, Dwight Hawkins and Jamarl Muse. They also shot Tavon Newton, 35, after struggling to detain him during an incident around Wilson Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in the Upton neighborhood in April.

Following Saturday’s police shooting, Worley said the officer did as expected, and the issue could have been deescalated with the individual’s compliance.

“Your license is revoked; you shouldn’t even be driving. Your car shouldn’t even be on the street because it doesn’t have valid tags. The whole incident could’ve been deescalated by not getting in the car and following the officer’s directions,” he said.

Weekend shootings

Police responded to at least three other non-fatal shootings between Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

A 24-year-old man was shot in the 2100 block of McHenry Street around 7:30 p.m., Saturday, officials said in a news release. The man was treated for his injuries, police said.

A 32-year-old man was shot in the 500 block of Sanford Place around 2 a.m. Sunday, police said. He was transported to a hospital and is expected to survive.

Around 3:30 a.m., police were called to a hospital for a walk-in shooting victim. A 17-year-old boy was shot in the 5300 block of York Road, officials said.