Defense Claims Shooting, Murder Was Unintentional

Thank you for reading Baltimore Witness. Help us continue our mission into 2024.

On Feb 28., counsel presented opening statements before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Dana M. Middleton in the case of 22-year-old Stephawn Tate.

Tate is charged with first-degree murder for the shooting of 27-year-old Rodney Grinage on Nov. 13, 2020, as well as firearm use in a felony violent crime, firearm possession with a felony conviction, possessing a firearm as a minor and having a handgun on his person.

“Brazen, deliberate and in broad daylight,” the prosecution said of the shooting, which was caught on multiple cameras on the 1600 block of West North Avenue. Surveillance camera footage allegedly showed Tate engaging in a scuffle with Grinage before fleeing the scene. A nearby Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officer heard the gunshots that killed Grinage and immediately responded to the scene.

Tate’s defense attorneys, Benjamin Charlton and Todd Oppenheim, admitted that Tate was the shooter, but claimed that the incident was not premeditated. They asserted that Tate was in the area not to shoot the victim, but to buy Percocet to satisfy an opioid addiction he had developed after suffering from a gunshot wound four years prior.

Tate was allegedly identified as the suspect in the surveillance footage by a BPD officer. A “wanted” flier with images taken from CCTV footage was disseminated throughout the department. The officer recognized Tate from prior interactions.

Notifications are not yet available for this specific case. Please check back later for updates. Thank you.