Man Gets April Trial Date for Shooting Girlfriend Last Year

By Andrew Michaels , Racquel Bazos - January 4, 2024
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

A 43-year-old man accused of shooting his girlfriend during an argument was scheduled for trial this April as the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office reassigns the case to another prosecutor.

During reception court on Jan. 4, a prosecutor told Circuit Court Judge Dana M. Middleton that the assistant state’s attorney originally assigned to the case left the office two weeks ago. The office needs time to reassign the case, she said.

Defendant Ricardo Clarke and his defense attorney, James Sweeting III, were also present when counsel agreed to begin a two-day trial on April 15 before Judge Troy Hill.

According to charging documents, Clarke and his girlfriend got into an argument on Feb. 21, 2023, at their home on the 1000 block of Herndon Court. The defendant initially left the home to cool down, but the fight resumed and escalated when he returned.

Clarke left and then returned to the home a second time, banging on the door. Court documents state the victim called 911; however, the defendant broke a window to get inside before police arrived.

Once inside, Clarke allegedly shot his girlfriend once in her arm. The two then struggled over the gun before the victim called an Uber to take her to MedStar Harbor Hospital.

The defendant was arrested a short time later outside the hospital’s emergency room entrance, where Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers recovered a semi-automatic handgun from his coat pocket.