A Baltimore man addressed the court tearfully on Sept. 25 as he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and felony firearm use for discharging a gun in Baltimore’s Oldtown in February.
Donald Blackwell, 37, was sentenced to ten years, suspending all but five, followed by 20 months of supervised probation upon completion of his term. The conditions of his sentence will include a stay-away order from the shooting’s victims, registration with the Maryland Gun Offender Registry, and compliance with administered alcohol and mental health screenings and treatments.
The agreement was struck after Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Nicole K. Barmore called a recess during plea proceedings the day prior, citing the failure of Blackwell’s correctional facility to properly accommodate in-person meetings between the defendant and his attorney, Sheri Scott-Redwood.
Proceedings during the Sept. 24 hearing drew to a halt after Blackwell admitted his correctional facility’s strict visitation regulations prevented him from hearing audio that accompanied surveillance footage capturing the incident.
Judge Barmore emphasized the court’s duty to allow Blackwell to make “a fully informed decision” regarding the plea offer, noting the contents of the footage could prove critical to his choice.
“I’m doing this to protect everybody,” she told attorneys as the courtroom emptied.
Prior to Blackwell’s sentencing on Sept. 25, Scott-Redwood portrayed him as a man deeply committed to his career and family, noting his seven-year tenure as an employee as a state worker and dedication to his family, including “a son he’s very committed to.”
Tearful pauses riddled Blackwell’s words as he spoke about his son and his commitment to self-improvement.
“Moving forward, I’ll try to put all of this behind me, and to better myself,” he told Judge Barmore.
Blackwell was arrested Feb. 13, shortly after the incident occurred. Officers located him at his apartment just a few blocks away from the shooting location.
When Blackwell answered his front door, officers observed a magazine and holster in plain view. At the crime scene, a .40-caliber casing was recovered from the area where Blackwell was allegedly standing when he fired. Ballistics analysis produced a likely match between the recovered casing and magazine.
