Thank you for reading Baltimore Witness.
Consider making a donation to help us continue our mission.
By
Tomas Coles [former]
- August 5, 2025
Court
|
Daily Stories
|
Non-Fatal Shooting
|
Shooting
|
Suspects
|
Jermaine Lawson, 36, pleaded guilty on Aug. 1 to assaulting his girlfriend in a lover’s quarrel.
Lawson was initially charged with first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and several firearms violations in relation to the Dec. 21, 2024 incident.
According to charging documents, at approximately 8:14 p.m. the day of the incident, Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers responded to a residence on the 2700 block of Lauretta Avenue in response to a report of an aggravated assault. Upon arrival, they located the victim with a cut on her right index finger, as well as blood on her hands and clothes.
She said she and Lawson were involved in a verbal altercation earlier that day that stemmed from an infidelity. After the altercation turned physical, the victim said she sustained a bruised eye. Lawson reportedly used a bat to break the windshield of her car and fled.
Lawson returned later to retrieve his own car, leading to a physical altercation with the victim’s stepfather. When multiple family members exited the residence in response to the commotion, Lawson allegedly fired a round into the air and the victim placed her hand on the gun to de-escalate the situation. The gun slipped, causing the injury to her finger. Lawson then fired a round towards the victim’s mother, who escaped unharmed.
Lawson accepted a guilty plea to the two counts of second-degree assault — one for the victim, and one for an unnamed male. The first count was amended to reflect the victim’s legal name, which the prosecution said she lied about when speaking to police. Officers discovered she was uncooperative throughout investigations due to her own pending charges.
Lawson received a binding sentence of 20 years, suspending all but two, as well as five years of supervised probation and mandatory gun offender registration. He will also be required to comply with drug and alcohol screenings.