Man Takes Plea For Firing Gun During Domestic Dispute

Thank you for reading Baltimore Witness. Help us continue our mission into 2024.

A 32-year-old Baltimore man pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment on Oct. 6 for firing a gun in the air during a domestic dispute.

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn presided over the proceedings on Thursday when the prosecutor offered the defendant a plea of three years, suspending all but one year, and two years of supervised probation for reckless endangerment. He must stay away from the victim.

Reckless endangerment carries a maximum penalty of five years.

The defendant was initially charged with assault, attempted burglary, property destruction, and discharging firearms.

Defense attorney Stewart Schadt told Judge Phinn that his client accepted the offer after withdrawing a motion to dismiss the charges based on a violation of Hick’s—the defendant’s right to be tried within 180 days of his or his attorney’s first court appearance. He noted that his client has a credit of 258 days in custody.

According to the prosecution, the defendant called the mother of his children about wanting to see his children and “sounded intoxicated” on Jan. 17. He later went to her home and banged on the door, attempting to break the door handle and trying to climb through a window.

The victim called police when she saw the defendant fire a black handgun in the air, the prosecutor said.