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Baltimore Witness staff
- January 12, 2024
Daily Stories
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Non-Fatal Shooting
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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On Dec. 30, 2023, at approximately 9:15 a.m., Southwest District patrol officers were responding to a burglary call, when they observed a naked man standing on the corner on the 2000 block of West Pratt Street.
The man walked into a convenience store and officers parked their vehicle to investigate further. Once inside, an employee of the store informed officers that the man, identified as 37-year-old Russom Gebretsadik, had gone upstairs in the rear of the building.
Officers proceeded to the rear of the building and attempted to talk to Gebretsadik, at which point he began to throw items at officers. Officers called for back-up and were able to retrieve a ballistic shield. Officers then went up multiple flights of steps and cleared several rooms in an attempt to locate Gebretsadik. Once on the third floor, Gebretsadik emerged from behind a door with a combat knife and a machete and began advancing towards officers.
One officer fired his weapon five times, striking Gebretsadik once in his leg.
The involved Baltimore Police officer has been identified as Officer James Stokes, a nine-year veteran of the Department.
The Special Investigation Response Team (S.I.R.T.) continues to investigate this incident.
Body-worn camera video of the incident can be found at the link here: https://youtu.be/huWwb9_LqN0
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