Jury Finds Defendant Not Guilty of 2022 Strip Club Shooting

By Andrew Michaels , Alyssia Davis [former] - February 17, 2023
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

A 30-year-old Baltimore man was found not guilty of attempted murder on Feb. 16 after being accused of shooting another man at Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club last year.

The five-day trial of Jamar Beckford concluded before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Dana Middleton on Thursday when defense attorney Hunter Pruette told jurors that the lack of evidence was stacked against the prosecution, with many questions left unanswered.

The incident occurred on 400 block of E. Baltimore Street on Feb. 27, 2022.

“Where is the evidence? Where are the witnesses? Why aren’t they here?” Pruette asked during his closing argument.

Among the insufficient evidence was a DNA analysis of the crime scene, which the defense attorney said revealed three different contributors, none of which were tested to identify a potential suspect. The victim’s DNA was never tested.

The club also had a total of 96 video surveillance cameras on the premise; however, Pruette explained, Baltimore Police only pulled footage from six cameras. Not only was a gun not visible in the footage, he added, but there is no clear indication of who had the gun and pulled the trigger during the altercation between Beckford and the victim on the stairs.

It was Pruette’s theory that the victim—whose blood alcohol level was three times higher than normal—had a gun, got drunk, and then got into a fight with the defendant.

Earlier in the proceedings, the prosecution argued that Beckford was following and harassing the victim at the club about money the former lost at a casino. Video footage showed the defendant chasing the victim up the set of stairs and then having a conversation. The victim is then seen grabbing Beckford’s hand when the defendant pulled out a gun, causing the two men to fall down the stairs.

As security intervened, two shots were fired, which the prosecution said was determined based on the number of shell casings found at the scene. Beckford’s movements after the shooting were also captured on CCTV footage as he and the victim were thrown out of the club.

“The defendant had a motive and firearm to commit this crime,” the prosecutor said.