Accused Wildwood Road Rage Shooter Gets Fall Trial Date

By Andrew Michaels , Racquel Bazos [former] - August 12, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

A 25-year-old man accused of a road rage shootout earlier this year in Southwest Baltimore will have his jury trial this fall before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Geller.

Defendant Kiari Cromwell and his attorney, Jason Ott, appeared in reception court on Aug. 10 when the defendant rejected a plea offer of five years without parole for firearm possession with a felony conviction and a consecutive one year for having a handgun in a vehicle. Judge Melissa M. Phinn and counsel agreed to begin the two-day trial on Nov. 27.

The defendant is also charged with an additional count of firearm possession with a felony conviction as well as illegal possession of a firearm, firearm possession with a drug conviction, illegal possession of ammo, having a handgun on his person and firing a gun in Baltimore City.

According to court documents, the victim told Baltimore Police Department officers that he was driving when he was almost run off of the road by another vehicle. The victim followed the driver, identified as Cromwell, who parked on the 1000 block of Wildwood Parkway.

Both drivers got out of their vehicles and confronted each other, but the victim stopped and returned to his vehicle after seeing the defendant had a handgun. The victim allegedly fired his gun at the defendant who fired back before they both got back into their vehicles and drove away.

Police later identified Cromwell after he crashed his vehicle and was taken to a hospital for multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. The victim was not injured.