A Baltimore man appeared before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Michael A. DiPietro on Nov. 12 for chargert with assaulting another man and firing a gun outside Gentlemen’s Gold Club, an adult entertainment venue, on Pulaski Highway earlier this year.
Prosecutors allege the May 4 altercation began as a verbal dispute and quickly escalated into violence, with police later recovering a loaded Glock 22 handgun from the scene.
Malik Oakes, 29, is charged with first- and second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony violent crime, reckless endangerment, and multiple handgun-related offenses in connection to the alleged assault.
During the hearing the prosecution gave a lengthy opening statement, outlining the types of evidence, the elements of assault and Maryland’s specific laws. She told jurors evidence would show Oakes argued with another man outside Gentlemen’s Gold Club, slapped him, and fired a gun close to his head before police recovered a loaded handgun from his vehicle.
“The facts are clear, and the evidence will speak for itself,” the prosecution said, explaining that both body-worn camera footage and surveillance videos would confirm the sequence of events.
Defense attorney Jason C. Ott commended the state for explaining the law but argued the prosecution “left out vital information.” According to Ott, the alleged victim was intoxicated after a night of heavy drinking and harassed customers, resulting in his ejection from the club. Ott also claimed the victim gave inconsistent versions of what happened and accused police of conducting “poor investigation work,” noting the lack of shell casings, witnesses, or proof that a gun was fired.
A Baltimore City detective testified that he responded to the reported shooting and later recovered surveillance footage from the club’s exterior cameras. Three clips were extracted that showed the defendant exiting the club, a brief encounter unfolding between two men, and officers arriving at the scene. On cross-examination, Ott questioned why investigators required two days to retrieve the footage and why they neglected to review footage from the club’s interior, which could have revealed the events t leading up to the alleged altercation. The detective said he did not know.
A backup officer testified she stopped Oakes’ car after the victim identified him, and later reviewed body-worn camera footage that showed allegedly the handgun on the floorboard of his vehicle during the stop. At Ott’s questioning, she admitted she neglected to interview others at the scene about the alleged gunfire, claiming she was focused on arresting the suspect and securing the weapon.
The hearing ended with the victim’s testimony who said he got into a verbal argument with Oakes after he was asked to leave the club around its closing time at 2 a.m. He said he began backing away from Oakes when he saw the latter’s gun, and recalled hearing the gun fire “pretty close” to his head, recalling a previous experience with gunfire. He said he then walked away and called the police after the defendant left.
The victim’s 911 call was played for the jury, in which he said, “People are shooting at me at the Gold Club.” He mentioned a “white guy with a gun” and claimed multiple shots were fired.
The trial is expected to continue through the following day with additional witness testimony.
