Defense Requests Release After 2 Attempts on Client’s Life

By Andrew Michaels - April 22, 2022
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

An attempted homicide defendant’s defense counsel requested that her client be released on home detention on April 22, citing two attempts on his life since being incarcerated last December.

Shaquille Kittrell, 27, is accused of shooting a man several times on Sept. 15, 2021, alongside co-defendant William Wilson, during Friday’s bail review hearing. In addition to first and second-degree attempted murder, Kittrell also faces several assault and firearms charges as well as conspiracy to first-degree murder.

On Friday, the prosecution said the defendant, who has two prior handgun convictions in 2019, was identified by someone who is familiar with him.

Defense attorney Stacie Trageser informed Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeannie J. Hong that since her client’s incarceration on Dec. 13, 2021, there have been two attempts on his life, the most recent on March 4 when an inmate with a knife allegedly chased Kittrell down a hallway. The defendant was stabbed in his upper body and arms, which was captured on video surveillance.

Trageser did not say when the first attack occurred, but she noted that Kittrell was stabbed in the face at that time.

Although he was previously in protective custody, Trageser said, her client has since been released back into general population. 

The defense attorney said Kittrell maintains his innocence, adding that in the past 18 months, she has had three cases of mistaken identity resulting in dismissals.

“I’m not saying that’s what happened here, but I have represented him in the past and he has no serious type of violent offenses,” Trageser said.

Despite defense counsel’s argument, Judge Hong denied bail but requested the jail hold Kittrell in a safer location.