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By
Andrew Michaels
- February 9, 2023
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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A Baltimore City Circuit Court judge sentenced defendant Anton Harris to 40 years in prison on Feb. 8, two and a half weeks after a jury found him guilty of fatally shooting 34-year-old Keith Johnson.
Harris, 35, was tried for the North Pulaski Street shooting at the end of January before Judge John Howard, who sentenced the defendant to 40 years for second-degree murder and a concurrent 15 years for illegally possessing a firearm during Wednesday’s proceedings.
The conviction comes after a lengthy trial when the prosecution and defense attorney Amanda Savage argued over Harris’ involvement that rainy afternoon on May 4, 2022. After the shooting, an MTA officer testified that he saw Harris running from the scene and demanded the defendant stop and put his hands in the air. Harris then hid behind a nearby vehicle, ditched the murder weapon underneath, and ran into the woods, where he was later apprehended.
“This case emphasizes the importance of cracking down on illegal gun possession offenses to protect our residents and communities,” Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said in a press release the day after Harris’ sentencing. “This defendant was willing to carry a deadly weapon and brazenly pull the trigger in broad daylight, a heinous act that warrants this lengthy sentence.”
Bates concluded by thanking the MTA officer and the prosecutor for their work over the course of the investigation and trial.