‘His Actions Were Callous Toward Human Life,’ Prosecution Says at Sentencing

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Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Anthony F. Vittoria sentenced 27-year-old Dionte Johnson to 45 years in prison for an incident on the 2300 block of East Biddle Street.

Johnson was found guilty in April of attempted first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime, reckless endangerment, possession of firearms during a controlled dangerous substance offense, having a handgun on his person and discharging a firearm in Baltimore City for the incident on March 27, 2022.

On July 18, he was sentenced to life, suspending all but 40 years in prison for attempted first-degree murder, a concurrent 20 years for firearm use in a felony violent crime with the first five years without parole, a consecutive five years for firearm possession during a controlled dangerous substance offense and one concurrent year for discharging a firearm in Baltimore City.

Johnson was also convicted of reckless endangerment and carrying a handgun on his person. Those two charges were merged with the attempted murder charge.

Before the sentencing began, the prosecution showed surveillance footage of Johnson and the victim arguing inside and outside a liquor store on the 2300 block of East Biddle Street. Video footage showed that Johnson shot the victim at close range in the neck.

“He is not only shooting the victim, but he is holding him in place to shoot,” the prosecution stated. “His actions, that day, were callous toward human life, showing no regard or care.”

The footage showed the suspect running away after the shooting, leaving the victim lying on the road. The shooting left the victim completely paralyzed from the neck down.

“He leaves him stranded in the street. This is as close as law can interpret attempted murder,” the prosecution concluded.

According to previous reports, Johnson was also seen dropping his identification card on the same block as the shooting, which was later recovered by Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers.

Defense attorney Natalie Finegar said that Johnson had no father figure or male role models growing up, having been raised by his grandmother and his older brother.

Johnson maintains his innocence.