Defense Claims Lack of Evidence in Shooting Trial

By Baltimore Witness Staff - December 5, 2024
Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects |

On Dec. 4, the defense counsel for a shooting suspect told the jury and Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Troy K. Hill that his client was wrongfully arrested because he owned headphones. They are similar to those worn by a person identified as the shooter shown in CCTV footage.

Ervin Dantzler, 31, is charged with the use of a gun in a crime of violence, reckless endangerment, discharge of a firearm within Baltimore City and illegal possession of ammunition. Due to a prior conviction, Dantzler is never allowed to have a gun.

The incident happened on May 20. A shotspotter alerted police to a gun firing and a witness at the scene claimed that the shots were due to a domestic dispute involving Dantzler. Police found three 9mm bullet casings, but no gun.

The same day, CCTV caught a man wearing blue metallic headphones firing a gun where the casings were found. The witness identified Dantzler as the shooter. Police searched a home and found a pair of blue headphones that seemed to match those of the shooter. 

Dantzler’s defense attorney, Joseph M. Owens said that while Dantzler owns a pair of metallic blue headphones, so do many others. Owens also said that the Dantzler’s headphones do not match the brand of the ones shown on CCTV.

Owens said there was no ground for Dantzler’s conviction, calling the domestic dispute hearsay and emphasizing the investigation’s failure to recover a gun. 

Closings for the trial will begin Dec. 5.