Man Sentenced to 15 Years Without Parole for 2022 ‘Wild West Shootout’ in Fells Point

By Andrew Michaels - December 1, 2023
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey M. Geller handed down a 15 year prison sentence without the possibility of parole to 39-year-old Reginald Allen on Dec. 1 for what the judge described as “a Wild West shootout in Fells Point” last year.

Allen was convicted of assault and weapons charges on Sept. 22 in connection to a non-fatal shooting at a party on the 900 block of South Bond Street on June 26, 2022. Following the two-day trial in September, the jury acquitted the defendant of attempted first and second-degree murder and attempted voluntary manslaughter.

“This is the type of insanity that gives our city a bad name,” Judge Geller said to Allen, who stood beside his attorney, Isabel Lipman.

The judge then imposed a sentence of 25 years, suspending all but 10 years without parole, for first-degree assault, a consecutive five years without parole for firearm use in a felony or violent crime, a concurrent five years without parole for firearm possession with a felony conviction, a consecutive five years suspended for reckless endangerment, a consecutive one year suspended for firing a gun in Baltimore City, a consecutive one year suspended for illegal possession of ammunition and a consecutive three years suspended for having a handgun on his person.

This brings Allen’s sentence to a total of 35 years, suspending all but 15 years without parole, as well as three years of supervised probation. The defendant is also required to stay away from the victim and the victim’s family and register as a gun offender.

Earlier in the proceeding, the prosecution argued for a lengthier sentence, requesting the judge impose 70 years, the first 20 years without parole, for the aforementioned charges. The prosecutor broke down Allen’s criminal history, which he said began two decades ago with a similar conviction.

According to the prosecutor, Allen was convicted of attempted first-degree murder and firearm use in a felony or violent crime in 2003. While serving his sentence, the defendant was convicted of having a telecommunication device in confinement in 2011. In 2017, Allen was then convicted of firearm possession with a felony conviction in federal court.

“We’re talking about an individual who has continuously had contact with the criminal justice system since 2002, not even barring incarceration,” the prosecutor said.

Allen has also had four additional run-ins with law enforcement that did not result in convictions, the prosecutor explained. He was arrested for attempted murder, robbery and firearm use in a felony or violent crime in 2014, attempted murder and arson in 2015 and second-degree assault in 2020, all of which were dismissed.

A fourth case of Allen’s involving another second-degree assault and theft charges was also placed on the temporarily inactive stet docket in 2022.

“At this point, the [prosecution] feels there is no rehabilitative or reasonable alternatives with regards to this defendant and that this defendant will continue to be a threat to society,” the prosecutor concluded.

Lipman expressed her confusion as to why the prosecution’s sentence recommendation more than doubled from the latter’s pre-trial offer of life, suspending all but 30 years, for attempted murder and three weapons charges earlier this year. There was no reason for this except to punish Allen for going to trial, she said.

The defense attorney reminded the judge that the victim was found in possession of two firearms at the time of the incident, leaving her client in fear for himself and the loved ones who joined him that evening.

Lipman also showed multiple photos of Allen with family members, telling Judge Geller of the defendant’s supportive family. In a letter from his younger sister, as read by Lipman, Allen’s sister wrote that he was a father figure in her life.

“Now matter how many things in life changed, Reginald’s love for our family never changed,” his sister wrote. “…I know what my brother did was not right and he knows what he did was not right. He is aware of what led him down this path and has rehabilitated himself to become a better man, son and father.”