Daughter of Baltimore employee allegedly killed over parking dispute shares heartbreak

The daughter of Gregory Turnipseed, a 71-year-old Baltimore City employee, is speaking about the attack on the job that cost him his life.

Police said Turnipseed, a Department of Transportation worker, was trying to assist in a dispute over a parking spot on St. Paul Street when Kiannah Bonaparte and her 15-year-old daughter brutally beat him last month.

He died the day before Thanksgiving.

Turnipseed’s devastated daughter told WJZ that justice must be served against those responsible for the attack.

“This really puts into perspective maybe how to treat people or react to people out on the street,” Gerri Turnipseed said. “I know sometimes people have road rage or people have tempers or they don’t have patience. We don’t think these things will happen. We think it’s OK to maybe have a back-and-forth with someone, and you just never know what they’re going through, their intentions, if they’re a good person.”

She is in shock about the attack.

The attack happened in the middle of the day on Oct. 17. Charging documents state that Turnipseed, while on the job for the city DOT, was beaten after he asked a woman whether she was leaving a parking spot as another vehicle was waiting.

“I don’t want to say you should never help out people, but once you see things are getting heated, don’t engage — just leave it alone,” Turnipseed’s daughter said. “I’m taking it moment by moment. It’s very shocking. I thought I had a lot more time left with my dad.”

According to police, a 15-year-old girl in the car “became irate, exited the vehicle, and began punching him in the face several times.”

Turnipseed tried to stop the girl from attacking him. Police said the city employee told them that the mother “jumped on his back, causing him to fall to the ground. [She] then kicked him in the head multiple times, breaking his glasses, and resulting in abrasions and swelling to his head. … "

“It seems that a 15-year-old instigated it and felt comfortable doing this in front of their parent,” Gerri Turnipseed said. “It’s very shocking.”

Bonaparte, 49, is facing assault charges that police said will be upgraded. WJZ has learned she was on supervised probation for a theft last year.

Police have not commented on the juvenile’s possible punishment.

“Justice would be both of these individuals be prosecuted and not be considered manslaughter,” Turnipseed’s daughter said. “I want this to be a lesson to folks that your actions have consequences and to think before you do things.”

Turnipseed’s grandson said the suspect was halfway in a lane of St. Paul Street and had been arguing with the other driver and had called his grandfather disrespectful names.

He said his grandfather was only encouraging her to get out of the street or to fully pull into the spot.

Bonaparte is next set to appear in court Dec. 11.

A beloved father

All Gerri Turnipseed has now are the memories of her father.

“He was very involved. He would take me to my sporting events. He would take me to auditions to be in commercials,” she said. “When I was little I was in pageants, and he would take me to all my practices. Most people would think the mom would do that, but my dad would do that. He always wanted his children to succeed — and the same thing with my brother.”

She said her dad was a sharp dresser and an engineer who attended Towson University.

“You never expect this type of tragedy to happen, and it hurts a lot because I know he has had talks with me and his friends and other family members about being excited for the next chapter in his life after retiring,” she said. “So I know he was looking forward to spending more time with friends and family and possibly moving back to California. It really hurts my heart that that won’t get to happen.”

She thanked the community for its support following the news of her father’s death.

“I want my dad to be remembered for being a smart man, being a hardworking man — not a perfect man,” she said. “But he loved his family and he loved his friends very much. So that’s what I want him to be remembered for.”

WJZ is a media partner of The Banner.