A traffic stop escalated Wednesday night in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood, leaving one Baltimore Police officer injured and another man shot.
The incident occurred about 9:18 p.m. Jan. 7 in the 300 block of West Franklin Street, police said.
According to a Baltimore Police Department spokesperson, an officer conducted a traffic stop after noticing a vehicle with suspended license plates. The stop initially appeared routine, the spokesperson added. There was one person inside the car and the officer was able to obtain the driver’s information.
Police said the officer then observed what appeared to be a handgun tucked into the driver’s waistband. The officer ordered the driver to place his hands on the steering wheel and reached into the vehicle to pick up the item. At that point, the driver accelerated, dragging the officer.
The officer fired at least one shot into the vehicle before falling to the ground and sustaining a minor hand injury, including the loss of a fingernail, police said.
The driver, who police currently only identify as a 29-year-old man, drove himself to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for a gunshot wound and later released. As of early Thursday morning, he had been taken into custody by homicide detectives and was being questioned, police said, but not formally charged.
A police spokesperson added the department is in possession of the vehicle involved, which did not belong to the driver. Baltimore Police are currently seeking a search warrant for the vehicle.
Mayor Brandon Scott was briefed on the incident, police said, adding that bodycam footage will be released once it becomes available.
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