Defense Claims Defendant Was Attacked Before Firing Gun at Medfield Heights Park

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A 52-year-old Baltimore man was released on home monitoring on July 8 for his alleged involvement in an altercation that led to shooting at Medfield Heights Park last month.

During Tuesday morning’s bail proceeding, defense attorney Craig Kadish told Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Martin H. Schreiber II that his client, Erik Buckner, had a verbal interaction with one of the alleged victims about a week prior to the shooting on June 13. Kadish said Buckner lives near the park and routinely parked his car there and listened to music.

On June 7, defense explained, Buckner drove to the park and had to urinate, which he did while standing between the body of his car and the open car door. Kadish said no one saw him urinate; however, a woman approached the defendant and began yelling at him. Buckner then left the area.

About a week later, Buckner parked at the park and was listening to music in his car when the same woman approached his car and allegedly used a cinder block to smash the front windshield and back of the car. After driving away, Kadish said, the defendant called 911 three times and was told to return to the scene to wait for officers with the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).

The defense attorney acknowledged that Buckner retrieved his legally-owned firearm from his home before returning to the park.

Once Buckner returned to the scene and waited for police to arrive, the same woman and two other individuals were walking toward his car during which time he got out of the driver’s seat and fired one gunshot into the air. Kadish said the three individuals were about 60 yards away from Buckner when he fired the gun.

Buckner reported to BPD on June 15 to give “his version of events” to police, Kadish said.

“His confession was him telling [BPD] how he was attacked and his response,” the attorney said, adding that Buckner was arrested on the same day.

Buckner has no criminal record, with a DUI citation in Michigan from 2008, his attorney told Judge Schreiber, saying he expects this case will either be “dismissed or won” in a motion’s hearing.

Judge Schreiber not only granted Buckner’s release on home detention, but allowed the defendant to attend work as well as legal and medical appointments.