Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting at SWAT Team

By Zoe Foringer-Laing [former] , Evan McNeil [former], Connor Driscoll [former] - July 28, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects |

A defendant pleaded guilty to shooting at a SWAT team more than five years ago during reception court on July 28 at the Baltimore City Circuit Court. 

According to the prosecution, an officer arrived at the home of Robert Blake on the 6900 block of Reisterstown Road on July 6, 2016, with a warrant for his arrest. Blake, 51, allegedly refused to go to jail and pulled out a gun, saying “this will be war.” 

In response to the threat, a SWAT team went to the home, and an eight-hour standoff ensued. Police threw tear gas into Blake’s home, and Blake returned fire through a closed door. He then ran around to the back of his home and fired again through a window. 

The standoff ended when Blake emerged from the house and surrendered. After he was arrested, officers found several firearms and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition in his home. 

During the hearing on Wednesday, Blake pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless endangerment, as well as one count of discharging firearms and wearing body armor.

He was sentenced to time served for the two years and nine months he spent in jail before being released on bail in 2019. Although Blake will not have to serve additional time, he must register as a gun offender under the plea, which Judge Melissa M. Phinn accepted.

Besides the charges in the plea, he faced four counts of second-degree assault of a law enforcement officer and firearm use in a violent crime, as well as two counts of reckless endangerment. 

According to defense attorney Natasha Dartigue, her client had previously been acquitted of second-degree murder charges that arose from the same incident. 

Another defendant whose case was heard on Wednesday is set to accept a plea offer.

A Baltimore resident was offered a plea of 15 years, suspending all but seven, with two years of supervised probation upon release, for first-degree assault. 

The defendant, 34, is also charged with reckless endangerment and five handgun-related offenses for a non-fatal shooting on July 18, 2020.

His defense attorney, Megan Lewis, said her client plans to accept the deal.

Judge Phinn scheduled the case to return to reception court on Aug. 5 for the formal plea acceptance.

By contrast, a plea was rejected in a separate non-fatal shooting case.

Baltimore resident Shelton Price was offered 50 years, suspending all but 20, for attempted first-degree murder; 20 years for an additional attempted first-degree murder; and five years without the possibility of parole for use of a handgun in a violent crime. All of the sentences would run concurrently. 

Price rejected a similar plea during a hearing on June 28. Bradley MacFee, Price’s defense attorney, also rejected the prosecution’s offer on behalf of his client during the Wednesday hearing.  

In addition to the charges in the plea, Price is charged with two more counts of first-degree murder, as well as four counts of second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment. He also faces two handgun-related charges.

The charges stem from an incident on Oct. 1, 2020. 

Price, 30, was scheduled to be heard Tuesday, but the prosecutor handling his case was unavailable.

A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8, and the trial is set to begin on Dec. 20. 

Another non-fatal shooting case from 2020 was heard during Wednesday’s proceeding.

Baltimore resident Andre Davis is charged in connection to an incident on May 31, 2020. 

Davis, 35, was offered a plea of 35 years, suspending all but 20, with five years of supervised probation upon release, for attempted first-degree murder; 10 years for second-degree attempted murder of a minor; 10 years for firearm use in a violent crime, the first five without the possibility of parole; and five years for second-degree assault and two counts of reckless endangerment; and three years for carrying a handgun. Under the deal, the sentences would run concurrently.

On top of the charges in the plea, Davis, is charged with another count of attempted first and second-degree murder and three counts of first and second-degree assault. Additionally, Davis is charged with attempted second-degree murder of a minor and destruction of property over $1,000, as well as two handgun-related charges. 

During the hearing, Davis’ defense attorney, Shannon Heery, said the offer had not yet been relayed to her client because it was recently amended from a prior offer. However, Heery expressed doubts that it would be accepted.

Judge Phinn slated the case to return to reception court on Aug. 11 to accept the plea or schedule a trial.

Yet another non-fatal shooting case addressed Wednesday was that of Michael Combs, 24, which was not scheduled on the docket.

After a lengthy discussion, defense attorney Tony Garcia and the prosecution were unable to find a mutually convenient trial date. However, Judge Phinn noted that if the defendant is ruled incompetent to stand trial in a separate case, she may have an open courtroom in December. 

Judge Phinn scheduled the case to return to reception on Sept. 27, one year after the shooting.

In connection to a shooting on Sept. 22, 2020, Combs is charged with attempted first and second-degree murder, home invasion, carrying a handgun on his person, discharging firearms, illegal possession of ammunition, firearm possession with a felony conviction, illegal possession of a regulated firearm, fourth-degree burglary, and firearm possession after being convicted of a crime of violence. He also faces two counts of first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and firearm use in a violent crime.