A Baltimore City jury heard opening statements and witness testimony June 4 in the trial of Michael Reed, 23, a defendant charged in a Penn North shooting.
Reed faces charges including attempted first- and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, firearm use in a felony violent crime, and related offenses stemming from a June 8, 2025 shootout on the 1200 block of W. North Avenue. Reed and the other suspect, 47-year-old Wesley Spencer, were arrested early July last year.
Before jurors entered the courtroom, prosecutors sought to admit a recorded jail phone call involving Reed. During the call, Reed allegedly stated, “I should have killed,” while discussing an identifying witness. Prosecutors argued the statement demonstrated consciousness of guilt and was directed toward a security officer who is expected to testify later in the trial.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Hope Tipton ruled the recording would not be admitted into evidence, finding it unclear who the statement referred to and whether it could be interpreted as prosecutors suggested.
Opening statements began after jurors entered the room.
According to surveillance footage shown to jurors, Reed was standing with cash visible on the ground around him shortly before the incident. The footage did not establish why the money was on the ground or what Reed intended to do with it.
The video showed a person said to be Spencer approaching Reed from behind and placing a handgun against the back of Reed’s head. Reed then appeared to knock the weapon away and flee the area. Spencer, who is currently incarcerated, pleaded guilty early February to second-degree assault and two gun offenses, and was sentenced to 15 years, suspending all but five.
The state’s attorney argued that Reed successfully escaped the immediate danger but later chose to return. According to the state’s theory of the case, Reed came back, approached Spencer from behind, chased him down the street and fired multiple shots. Prosecutors contend one of the rounds struck Spencer in the lower right portion of his back. The state’s attorney characterized the shooting as an act of revenge rather than self defense.
Defense attorney Deborah Warner-Dennis challenged the state’s identification of Reed as the shooter. Warner-Dennis argued that the individual shown firing the shots was wearing a ski mask and that investigators relied heavily on general characteristics, including height, race, and footwear, to identify Reed. Warner-Dennis noted that Reed stands approximately 6 foot 4 inches tall, and argued that many individuals in Baltimore could fit the general description provided by investigators. She maintained that the state had not conclusively proven Reed was the person depicted in the surveillance footage.
A Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officer from the Western District responded to the scene after receiving a ShotSpotter alert and located shell casings in a nearby area and found Spencer suffering from a gunshot wound to the back. Based on the location of the casings near Spencer, the state argued he was only able to run a short distance before collapsing from his injuries.
Investigators further testified that the recovered shell casings were consistent with having been fired from a 9mm handgun. However, no firearm was recovered during the investigation, preventing detectives from conducting a direct comparison between a weapon and the shell casings found at the scene.
On cross examination, Warner-Dennis challenged the reliability of the investigation. She questioned the accuracy of ShotSpotter technology and asked why investigators did not obtain surveillance footage from a Burger King located across the street from the shooting. She also suggested that the shell casings could have been moved before police secured the area.
The prosecution later introduced Baltimore CitiWatch footage from multiple camera angles that showed the initial confrontation, Reed supposedly fleeing the area, and a suspect later returning and pursuing Spencer before gunshots were heard. The footage showed a tall Black man walking away after the shooting. Prosecutors argued that the individual was Reed, while the defense maintained that the video did not conclusively identify him.
According to a detective investigators were able to identify Reed as the suspect after reviewing the footage.
Proceedings are scheduled to continue June 5, with testimony from a security officer who had been working near the scene. According to statements made outside the presence of the jury, the officer is expected to testify that he recognized the individual involved and referred to him as “Mike Mike,” a nickname prosecutors contend belongs to Reed.
