Articles by Justin Fenton

11:59 AM EDT, June 18, 2013

Three shot, one killed on one Baltimore block

Five people were shot overnight Monday — including three people shot in two incidents in the same block in East Baltimore over a span of less than six hours, police said.

6:47 PM EDT, June 18, 2013

Baltimore homicide reported on same block as earlier shooting

Police can't be everywhere, but they're usually laser-focused on a city block in the immediate wake of a shooting.

8:23 PM EDT, June 17, 2013

Man charged in Orioles' game assault says more to story

A man charged with critically injuring a spectator at an Orioles game contends he was defending himself during an altercation, his lawyer said, citing information in a police report that raises "questions over who was the true aggressor."

6:40 PM EDT, June 18, 2013

Baltimore police struggle with vacancies, increased spending

The Baltimore Police Department is short almost one-sixth of the officers it should have as it girds for warmer weather and increased violence — prompting top brass to once again exceed their overtime budget to fill patrol cars.

10:35 AM EDT, June 14, 2013

Man shot in the chest in Old Goucher

A man was shot and critically wounded early Friday in Baltimore's Old Goucher neighborhood, and police arrested a suspect in a separate shooting in East Baltimore.

5:52 PM EDT, June 12, 2013

Arrest in child's death; police investigate 3 shootings

A 21-year-old man has been charged with killing a 2-year-old in West Baltimore, and detectives were investigating a fatal shooting of a 27-year-old man and two nonfatal shootings elsewhere in the city.

6:42 PM EDT, June 13, 2013

Baltimore officer charged in fiancee's killing pleads not guilty

Lawyers for a veteran Baltimore police officer charged with killing his fiancee and then engaging in an hours-long standoff with fellow officers said Thursday that they want to explore whether he suffered from combat-related stress.

7:18 PM EDT, June 11, 2013

Civilian police complaint unaddressed, teen criticizes oversight

An attorney for a teenager who said his jaw was broken in an encounter with Baltimore police dismissed the city's civilian review board as a "proxy" for police after nearly three years have passed without a ruling on the case.

6:45 PM EDT, June 5, 2013

Police identify third suspect in shooting death of 1-year-old

Baltimore police have identified a third suspect in last month's shooting death of a 1-year-old in Cherry Hill, and they are asking the public for help finding him.

8:22 PM EDT, June 5, 2013

Council members seek ban on cellphone 'reverse vending machines'

Faced with a rash of reported mobile device thefts, local lawmakers want to ban the automated purchasing kiosks that have cropped up at area shopping centers and allow customers to instantly resell phones, tablets and music players.

7:22 PM EDT, June 10, 2013

Boy, 13, alleges sex assault by fellow students at SEED school

A 13-year-old boy is alleging he was sexually assaulted by other students at the SEED School of Maryland, a public boarding school for at-risk children in Southwest Baltimore.

7:28 PM EDT, June 3, 2013

U.S. Supreme Court authorizes post-arrest DNA collection

A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that police in Maryland and elsewhere can continue the warrantless collection of DNA from people arrested — but not convicted — of serious crimes.

6:44 PM EDT, June 2, 2013

Baltimore police review board called irrelevant, ineffective

In a mostly empty ninth-floor conference room on a recent Thursday evening, the civilian panel charged with investigating police misconduct in Baltimore met for its monthly meeting.

8:40 AM EDT, June 1, 2013

Assault at Orioles game sends man to intensive care, police say

Matt Fortese came 75 miles from Hagerstown to meet Taylor Queen at Camden Yards. She drove more than three hours from Virginia. Their second date was going well, Queen said, until an hour of taunting from two fans boiled over into an altercation that left Fortese fighting for his life.

8:40 PM EDT, May 31, 2013

Baltimore police officer charged in drug corruption case

A Baltimore police officer accepted cash payments and provided protection for a man she believed to be a drug dealer — a man who was actually working with department investigators and FBI agents to build a criminal case against her, authorities alleged Friday.

8:52 PM EDT, June 4, 2013

Men killed in Charles North, Reservoir Hill

Two men were killed in separate shootings less than a mile apart in Baltimore late Monday and early Tuesday morning, according to city police.

6:51 PM EDT, May 29, 2013

Man found beaten to death in Oakenshawe

Baltimore City homicide detectives are investigating the beating death of a man found Tuesday afternoon inside a home in North Baltimore's Oakenshawe neighborhood.

11:11 PM EDT, May 26, 2013

Police identify 1-year-old killed in Cherry Hill shooting; one arrest made

Three men wearing latex gloves, two in hooded sweat shirts, fired at least 16 shots as Rashaw Scott sat in the driver's seat of a parked red Chevrolet — his 16-month-old son, Carter, was in the back passenger seat — in what police say was a targeted shooting that left the child dead.

5:58 PM EDT, May 23, 2013

Assault rifles seized in drug raid north of Patterson Park

Baltimore police seized three assault rifles and more than 7,000 rounds of ammunition in a drug raid on an East Baltimore house just north of Patterson Park.

12:20 PM EDT, May 29, 2013

Rosedale train derailment creates explosion that broke windows; smoke visible for miles

A freight train smacked into a truck carrying garbage and careened off the tracks in Rosedale Tuesday afternoon, triggering an explosion felt throughout the region and sending up a plume of black smoke visible for miles.

8:18 PM EDT, May 22, 2013

City patrol officer retires after nearly 40 years on the beat

During a career spanning four decades, Baltimore police Officer Ron Starr says, he never really considered leaving the department's Southeastern District and moving up the chain of command.

6:26 PM EDT, May 22, 2013

Seven people shot, one fatally, in five incidents in Baltimore

Seven people were shot — at least one fatally — in Baltimore between Tuesday afternoon and early Wednesday morning, with the violence stretching from Brooklyn in the south to Gwynn Oak in the northwest and Darley Park in the east.

11:16 AM EDT, May 26, 2013

Police confirm arrest of suspect in fatal shooting of 1-year-old

Baltimore police said they charged a suspect Saturday in connection with the fatal shooting of a 1-year-old boy in South Baltimore's Cherry Hill neighborhood.

7:23 PM EDT, May 20, 2013

Guns stolen from home of Ravens' Ray Rice

Two guns and cash were stolen in a weekend burglary at the Reisterstown home of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, Baltimore County police confirmed.

11:31 PM EDT, May 17, 2013

Baltimore police officer charged with second-degree assault

Baltimore police officer Robert W. Mitchell faces a second-degree assault charge after police and prosecutors accused him of overstepping his powers and beating a young man more than a year ago.

7:34 PM EDT, May 17, 2013

Ocean City cigarette smuggling ring had ties to terror groups, police say

The Palestinian immigrant and his brother lived next door to each other in homes in West Ocean City, over the years opening a number of businesses throughout the area — three pizza shops, a Mexican restaurant, a liquor store, gas stations, and development companies, court records show.

5:27 PM EDT, May 17, 2013

Baltimore police making progress on open homicide cases

In the third week of February, two separate killings of couples alarmed Baltimore police and contributed to a spike in the city's homicide numbers that prompted the department to shift strategies, deploy more officers on foot patrols and hold community meetings in neighborhoods feeling the wave of violence.

5:26 PM EDT, May 16, 2013

Ecuadorean national, 31, arrested on Baltimore rape charge

An Ecuadorean national living in Baltimore was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on charges that he raped a 12-year-old girl, the federal agency and city police said.

5:30 PM EDT, May 16, 2013

Family fight led to man's death in Curtis Bay, police say

A 28-year-old man who police were initially told died after being hit over the head with a beer bottle by a stranger in Curtis Bay was killed by a family member who punched him during a brawl, police say.

4:46 PM EDT, May 11, 2013

Daughter, boyfriend charged in stabbing death of Ellicott City blogger

A prominent Ellicott City blogger and businessman was stabbed to death by his daughter's 19-year-old boyfriend, who plotted with the 14-year-old girl to kill him so the two could run away together, Howard County police said Friday.

7:09 PM EDT, May 8, 2013

'Chaotic' scene prevented quick medical attention for shooting victim

The shooting of Kendra Diggs and the subsequent barricade by her alleged attacker presented a challenge Tuesday for police and emergency responders.

8:12 PM EDT, May 13, 2013

Slain blogger's daughter directed attack, boyfriend told police

The 19-year-old man charged with fatally stabbing Dennis Lane allegedly told investigators that his girlfriend had instructed him to kill her father and his fiancee, specifying the number of times each was to be stabbed in the throat — 10 for him and 15 for her.

9:15 PM EDT, May 3, 2013

In Watch Center, an urgent search for man in danger

On a recent Friday night in the Baltimore Police Department's high-tech Watch Center, an urgent but vague tip came in — a murder witness was in danger.

7:42 PM EDT, May 9, 2013

Mayor's cousin fatally shot

A 20-year-old cousin of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was one of two men fatally shot in separate incidents Wednesday night in Baltimore, the latest victims of the city's relentless pace of gun violence.

8:22 PM EDT, April 25, 2013

In Belair-Edison neighborhood, grief after a daytime killing

A medic unit that had rushed to the scene of the midday shooting in Belair-Edison sat idling in the street. With the dead man's body under a sheet, there was no one to transport.

5:12 PM EDT, May 11, 2013

Pre-paid cards, phones and codes are inmates' currency

In the black market of Maryland's prisons and jails, where the right price can secure cellphones and drugs, transactions unfold through a complex system of currency. Among the key elements: 14-digit codes, prepaid debit cards and text messages.

9:57 AM EDT, May 8, 2013

Officer charged with murder after barricade situation in W. Baltimore house

An off-duty Baltimore police officer gave himself up late Tuesday after barricading himself in a home with a toddler in a six-hour standoff that began when he fatally shot a woman, authorities said.

2:30 PM EDT, April 27, 2013

Illicit drug prices in Baltimore fluctuate under DEA estimates

A group of alleged Black Guerrilla Family members met last December to discuss a robbery with a confidential source, who, unbeknownst to them, was working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. The price of cocaine in Baltimore City at that moment was "high" at $40,000 per kilogram, agents wrote in court documents, making the proposed robbery "especially lucrative."

6:46 PM EDT, April 24, 2013

Missing Baltimore man found dead behind vacant home

His family feared the worst after Marcus "Anton" Lesane went missing two weeks ago, and on Wednesday those concerns were confirmed when his body was found stashed behind a vacant home in Northwest Baltimore.

4:10 PM EDT, April 20, 2013

Man dies in Montgomery Co. after being struck with police Taser

A man who police said was acting erratically died Friday night in Gaithersburg after he refused officers' orders and was struck with a Taser.

6:50 PM EDT, April 19, 2013

Baltimore dirt bikes seized in police raid of repair shop

Detective Hassan Rasheed had been watching the Northwest Baltimore repair shop for weeks as men brought dirt bikes in and out for repairs. Now police, intent on cracking down on illegal bikes, were prepared to move in.

5:56 PM EDT, April 20, 2013

Police identify man killed in Canton shootout with officer

Baltimore Police have identified the man killed in a shootout with an officer responding to a domestic violence complaint late Thursday night in Canton.

10:08 PM EDT, April 23, 2013

Robert Jarrett Jr. convicted of second-degree murder of wife

Robert Jarrett Jr. was convicted Tuesday of murdering his wife, following a trial in which prosecutors described him as a "cold-blooded killer" who allowed his sons to walk over her body buried beneath their backyard shed for two decades.

9:30 PM EDT, April 18, 2013

Baltimore Police spot error in counting city rape statistics

Baltimore police have been underreporting the number of rapes across the city this year, but officials described the problem as a data error and stressed that it did not affect the number of cases being investigated by sex offense detectives.

5:53 PM EDT, April 18, 2013

Former officer pleads guilty to improperly accessing database

A former Baltimore Police officer pleaded guilty Thursday to improperly accessing a law enforcement database to provide information to a drug dealer who was under federal investigation.

6:54 PM EDT, April 17, 2013

Prosecutor can't show accused cannibal criminally responsible

Harford County's top prosecutor said Wednesday that he does not have enough evidence to show that Alexander Kinyua is criminally responsible for killing a family friend and eating his organs last year.

8:37 PM EDT, April 16, 2013

City police seek $285,000 to hire consultant

The Baltimore Police Department is asking the city for $285,000 to hire a Massachusetts-based consultant — the highest of five bidders — to recommend how the department should be run.

6:20 PM EDT, April 16, 2013

Missing Southwest Baltimore man's family presumes him dead

No one's heard from Marcus "Anton" Lesane in days. He is black, stands just shy of 6 feet, weighs 150 pounds, has a thin mustache and drives a Buick, which was found abandoned on Sunday with the keys dangling from the lock of the door.

9:04 PM EDT, April 15, 2013

Local authorities step up security after Boston Marathon explosions

Baltimore-area authorities announced heightened security after bombings at the Boston Marathon on Monday, though officials emphasized there was no evidence of threats here.

7:06 PM EDT, April 15, 2013

High court rejects N.Y. gun challenge; no immediate Md. effect

The Supreme Court left in doubt Monday whether gun owners have a Second-Amendment right to carry a firearm in public, declining to hear a case about concealed-carry laws that is similar to a Maryland suit that still has life in federal courts.

6:12 PM EDT, April 14, 2013

Murder trial shifts to woman's body found in Elkridge backyard

When Howard County authorities said they found the badly decomposed remains of Christine Jarrett beneath a shed in her own backyard, they moved swiftly to charge her husband — long a suspect — with the murder.

5:53 PM EDT, April 9, 2013

Baltimore City employee killed after crash in front of City Hall

A Baltimore city employee was killed Tuesday afternoon after a man veered off an interstate and sped onto downtown streets, flipping the car he was driving in front of City Hall, according to police and the victim's family.

8:08 PM EDT, April 11, 2013

Son testifies in Howard Co. case of man accused of killing wife

The 33-year-old son of a Howard County man on trial for allegedly killing his wife and burying her beneath a backyard shed two decades ago testified through tears on Thursday about waking up on the morning of her disappearance and wandering around the home looking for her.

6:17 PM EDT, April 9, 2013

Four officers suspended in fallout of officer's misconduct plea, sources say

Four Baltimore police officers have been suspended as part of an investigation stemming from the conviction of an officer for conspiring with a drug informant to orchestrate arrests, according to sources with knowledge of the case.

7:50 PM EDT, April 8, 2013

Tweet battle between police, union about social media strategy

The weekend tweets from the Baltimore Police Department featured a recruiting video, an appeal reminding domestic violence victims that officers can help, and a message honoring a colleague who died 40 years ago.

9:23 PM EDT, April 9, 2013

Baltimore City employee killed in crash in front of City Hall

A Baltimore City employee was killed Tuesday afternoon when police said a man veered off an interstate and sped onto downtown streets, flipping the car he was driving in front of City Hall.

8:46 PM EDT, April 10, 2013

Trial begins for man whose wife was found buried in yard

Christine Jarrett had been there all along.

6:44 PM EDT, March 27, 2013

Baltimore officer indicted in police academy training shooting

The Baltimore police training supervisor who shot a recruit during an unauthorized training exercise last month will face criminal charges after being indicted Wednesday by a Baltimore County grand jury.

2:01 PM EDT, April 1, 2013

Baltimore police identify man killed in early Sunday shooting

One man was killed and two others injured in separate shooting incidents overnight across the city, police said.

7:37 PM EDT, March 29, 2013

Transit police warn travelers to be alert as mobile device thefts rise

Maryland transit police are warning travelers to be alert on trains and buses, amid a long-running rash of mobile-device thefts targeting riders who were texting, listening to music or talking on the phone.

1:19 PM EDT, April 8, 2013

Man fatally shot in Baltimore early Monday morning

With blood still streaked on the doorway of a Southwest Baltimore home where a man was shot earlier in the morning, a woman who rented a room there nonchalantly recalled hearing the four shots.

6:25 PM EDT, March 29, 2013

City police make arrests in several homicides

As officers lingered outside his Northwest Baltimore home for three hours, Anthony Todd was busy inside trying to cover up evidence of a marijuana-growing operation, police say.

7:28 PM EDT, March 18, 2013

Coast Guard shipyard worker among recent homicide victims

Alexander Moulton completed a four-year apprenticeship program last year to become a painter at the Coast Guard shipyard in Curtis Bay, following in the footsteps of his father, who said his son worked seven days a week to provide for two children.

7:38 PM EDT, March 20, 2013

Baltimore's gun offender registry upheld

Maryland's second-highest court upheld the constitutionality of Baltimore's gun offender registry, a signature effort to curb gun violence that a city judge had called into question two years ago.

5:39 PM EDT, March 12, 2013

Elite Baltimore City prosecutor unit takes on … a fistfight

When he became state's attorney two years ago, Gregg L. Bernstein created the Major Investigations Unit, pulling in elite prosecutors to go after violent repeat offenders using complex techniques.

5:35 PM EST, March 9, 2013

City names new crime policy director

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has named an advocate for youth justice reform as the new director of Baltimore's crime policy office.

6:52 PM EDT, March 28, 2013

In a reversal, city to keep newly purchased police helicopter

Eighteen months after Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake voted to approve the purchase of four new helicopters for the Police Department, her proposed budget called for grounding one of them in a cost-saving move.

9:28 PM EDT, March 20, 2013

Johnson to get new trial in killing of Phylicia Barnes

A Baltimore judge threw out the murder conviction of a man who was to be sentenced Wednesday in the killing of 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes, saying prosecutors withheld information about a key witness from defense attorneys.

8:46 PM EST, March 8, 2013

Baltimore police rebuked by federal judge in taping lawsuit

A federal judge has ordered Baltimore police to halt a "veritable witch hunt" into the personal life of a man who alleges that his camera was seized as he filmed an arrest.

9:34 PM EDT, March 19, 2013

Three dead in West Baltimore shooting

A spate of violence in the city continued with a daylight shooting that left three people dead inside a West Baltimore apartment, as members of the City Council on Tuesday pressed police commanders to address a rise in killings and robberies.

6:29 PM EST, March 9, 2013

Family searching for answers in man's killing in Southwest Baltimore

The family of a 28-year-old man found fatally stabbed Friday behind a railroad car in Southwest Baltimore said they're struggling to understand why someone would take his life.

8:42 PM EDT, March 11, 2013

Baltimore officer pleads guilty to armed drug conspiracy

To rack up arrests and look good for his bosses, Officer Kendell Richburg decided to ensure that his confidential informant could continue dealing drugs and funneling him information.

10:19 PM EST, February 27, 2013

Suspicious colleague reported Levy, Hopkins dean says

A female colleague of Johns Hopkins gynecologist Dr. Nikita Levy became suspicious about a pen the doctor wore around his neck and alerted officials at the medical institution, touching off an investigation into whether he secretly recorded patients.

5:49 PM EST, February 22, 2013

Man found dead from multiple gunshots in West Baltimore

At the spot where a man was gunned down Thursday night outside a West Baltimore liquor store, someone placed an open Bible.

2:59 PM EST, March 2, 2013

After recruit shooting, police relent, disclose training policies

After initially balking at The Baltimore Sun's request following an accidental shooting that critically injured a recruit, Baltimore police have released protocols and policies related to firearms exercises.

8:30 PM EST, February 22, 2013

City police training academy director, appointed this week, to retire

Just three days after being touted as the commander who would oversee reforms in the wake of an accidental shooting during training, the new head of the Baltimore police academy informed top brass Friday that he intends to leave the agency.

8:58 PM EST, February 20, 2013

Accused Hopkins gynecologist suffocated himself with helium

Johns Hopkins gynecologist Dr. Nikita A. Levy wrote an apology letter to his wife before wrapping a plastic bag around his head Monday and pumping it with helium, killing himself in the basement of his Towson-area home, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation.

6:56 PM EST, February 19, 2013

Defense asks for new trial in Phylicia Barnes murder

Attorneys for the man convicted of killing 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes have asked a judge for a new trial, arguing that prosecutors made improper statements to the jury and withheld information.

5:58 PM EST, February 27, 2013

Report finds youth incarceration on steep decline in Md., U.S.

The rate of youth confinement in Maryland declined by nearly half over a 13-year period, outpacing the national average amid a "sea change" in the approach toward dealing with young people who break the law, according to a report released by a national youth advocacy group.

11:26 PM EST, February 20, 2013

Police identify victim in apparent murder-suicide as probation agent

A state probation agent who volunteered as a conflict mediator was killed Tuesday night in an apparent North Baltimore murder-suicide in which a child survivor was found outside the house.

7:25 PM EST, February 20, 2013

Police didn't have approval to use Rosewood for training

Baltimore police did not have permission to conduct training exercises at the shuttered state facility for the developmentally disabled where an officer was shot and critically wounded, according to Maryland health officials.

4:57 PM EST, February 15, 2013

Rapper 2 Chainz arrested on Eastern Shore, takes photo with troopers

Maryland State Police said they arrested Grammy-nominated rapper 2 Chainz on a drug citationfollowing a Thursday traffic stop on his way to perform at a homecoming event at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

7:24 PM EST, February 22, 2013

City police training academy director, appointed this week, to retire

Just three days after being touted as the commander who would oversee reforms in the wake of a training shooting, the new head of the Baltimore Police academy informed top brass Friday that he intends to leave the agency.

10:03 PM EST, February 18, 2013

Hopkins doctor found dead amid investigation of claims he secretly taped patients

Police want to identify women seen over two decades by a Johns Hopkins gynecologist who was found dead on Monday amid a police investigation that he was surreptitiously photographing and videotaping his patients.

9:02 PM EST, February 19, 2013

Hopkins patients come forward as investigation into secret recording continues

Nearly 100 women, fearing that a Johns Hopkins gynecologist secretly videotaped and photographed them, contacted police Tuesday, and some potential victims reached out to private attorneys contemplating legal action.

7:49 PM EST, February 19, 2013

Batts pledges agency-wide review of weapons use

Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts announced an across-the-board review of how city officers use weapons after the accidental shooting of a trainee during exercises last week.

3:26 PM EST, February 16, 2013

Police refuse to release training policies after shooting

The Baltimore Police Department said it will not release policies and procedures related to training exercises, even after being told by a federal judge last week that its policies are not protected from public disclosure.

10:16 PM EST, February 13, 2013

Top commanders unaware of training where officer was shot

Top Baltimore police commanders, including the director of the agency's training academy, were unaware that training exercises were being conducted at an Owings Mills facility where a rookie University of Maryland officer was shot in the head and critically wounded, officials said Wednesday.

3:35 PM EST, February 23, 2013

Bodies found in a car fire early Friday in Mondawmin neighborhood had been shot

City confirmed Saturday that a man and a woman whose bodies were found in a burning car in West Baltimore early Friday morning had been shot.

8:42 PM EST, February 6, 2013

Michael Johnson found guilty in killing of Phylicia Barnes

A Baltimore jury found Michael Maurice Johnson guilty of second-degree murder in the 2010 death of 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes, agreeing with prosecutors that the last known person to see the North Carolina teen alive was also her killer.

8:49 PM EST, February 21, 2013

Lawyers scramble for patients of accused Hopkins gynecologist

One law firm has rented out a conference room in the downtown Hilton and invited patients of a Johns Hopkins gynecologist to discuss their legal options. Other firms are taking out newspaper ads, urging his patients to contact them. Others are asking clients to spread the word to other potential victims.

8:34 PM EST, February 14, 2013

Instructor may have injured officer outside of training drill

State investigators are exploring whether a Baltimore police instructor who shot a trainee this week was horsing around and not participating in a drill when he accidentally reached for his service weapon instead of a paint-cartridge pistol, according to sources familiar with the inquiry.

7:13 PM EST, February 7, 2013

Ravens won't hold another fan event without tickets to control crowds

Ravens officials said Thursday they won't extend an open invitation to fans again without first passing out free tickets, after this week's Super Bowl celebration at M&T Bank Stadium where larger-than-expected crowds amassed and an 11-year-old boy was trampled.

7:51 PM EST, February 1, 2013

Judge concerned about evidence in Phylicia Barnes case

The judge overseeing the Phylicia Barnes murder trial said Friday that prosecutors are proceeding on a circumstantial theory that causes him "great concern," but added that the case should continue and be presented to jurors.

7:56 PM EST, January 31, 2013

Jury hears Barnes' alleged killer talk of fleeing country

Fearing the investigation into Phylicia Barnes' death was closing in on him, prosecutors say, Michael Maurice Johnson told his girlfriend in text messages that he was thinking about fleeing the country.

9:04 PM EST, January 29, 2013

Accused Barnes killer speaks in tape made days after disappearance

Jurors got to hear Michael Maurice Johnson's account Tuesday of the last time he saw Phylicia Barnes alive, as prosecutors played audio tape of a police interview with the man now charged with killing the 16-year-old.

12:35 PM EST, January 25, 2013

No charges against officers in death of Anthony Anderson during arrest

Prosecutors will not charge the Baltimore police officers involved in arresting and fatally injuring a man — after finding that they did not use excessive force and followed police procedure when a detective tackled Anthony Anderson in a vacant lot last September.

10:21 PM EST, January 30, 2013

Witness testifies that he saw Phylicia Barnes' body

In a pivotal day of testimony in the Phylicia Barnes murder trial, a 36-year-old petty criminal the defense has dismissed as a "jailhouse snitch" took the stand as one of the prosecution's key witnesses.

7:55 PM EST, January 9, 2013

Police chase in Northeast Baltimore ends in Baltimore Co.

Three police officers suffered minor injuries in a police chase that started in Northeast Baltimore and ended with a collision in the Carney area of Baltimore County.

3:53 PM EST, January 16, 2013

Baltimore youth jail funding not in O'Malley's budget

The state will not put any money toward the construction of a Baltimore jail for juveniles charged as adults, according to Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed budget, as prison officials consider renovating an existing facility instead.

9:03 PM EST, January 28, 2013

Tearful Deena Barnes describes day Phylicia went missing

The older sister of Phylicia Barnes tearfully said Monday she had allowed her teenage sister to drift too close to the man now accused of murdering her, testifying in the trial of Michael Maurice Johnson that the then-26-year-old's unnerving conduct one summer night was the final blow to their relationship.

6:35 PM EST, January 17, 2013

Baltimore police seek contract for outside consultant

The Baltimore Police Department is planning to hire an outside consultant to develop a "three- to five-year strategic plan" to help streamline the agency and improve crime fighting, city documents show.

10:28 PM EST, January 29, 2013

Man wounded in third police-involved shooting in city in five days

Police shot a man in Northwest Baltimore Tuesday in the third such incident since Friday, and are still searching for a potential victim they say the man may have shot earlier.

6:51 PM EST, January 24, 2013

In Barnes trial, defense questions detective's search for daughter

In a frantic search for his own missing teenage daughter, the lead detective in the Phylicia Barnes murder case donned a black hooded sweatshirt and, along with two other men, forced his way into a Northeast Baltimore apartment where he believed she was hiding, attorneys said in court Thursday.

5:50 PM EST, January 26, 2013

In gun control debate, no easy fixes to Baltimore street violence

Maryland has some of the toughest gun laws in the country — and Baltimore's are even stricter — yet the city continues to struggle with rampant gun violence as thousands of criminals gain access to firearms.

7:28 PM EST, January 15, 2013

Girl, 17, dies after one of 3 Balto. shootings Tuesday morning

A violent start to the year continued with three people shot on Baltimore's west side Tuesday morning, including a 17-year-old girl who died after she and a man were shot in an alley.

9:04 PM EST, December 28, 2012

Prosecutors say sex video includes Phylicia Barnes, alleged killer

City prosecutors have filed notice that they intend to play at trial a video that depicts teenage slaying victim Phylicia Barnes "intoxicated and engaging in sexual relations" with her accused killer, his younger brother and her older half sister, court records show.

7:18 PM EST, January 7, 2013

Leader of Dead Man Inc. gang renounces group at sentencing

As a federal judge handed down a sentence that will virtually ensure Perry Roark spends the rest of his life behind bars, the founder of Maryland's largest home-grown prison gang renounced his association with the group.

8:17 PM EST, January 2, 2013

State delays vote on expansion of Carroll Co. juvenile treatment facility

A plan by the Department of Juvenile Services to double capacity at a privately run residential facility for young offenders was put off Wednesday after state officials expressed concern about the system "backsliding" toward larger, harder-to-manage facilities.

8:13 PM EST, January 25, 2013

Tape shows accused killer's desire for Barnes, prosecution says

Baltimore prosecutors said Friday that a sexually charged video depicting teenager Phylicia Barnes and the man accused of killing her shows a turning point in the relationship that ultimately led to her death.

5:56 PM EST, January 8, 2013

Phylicia Barnes sex tape may be played publicly at murder trial

If Baltimore prosecutors want to show jurors a video of teenage murder victim Phylicia Barnes and the man accused of killing her engaged in "sexual relations," they must do so in open court, a city judge has ruled.

6:07 PM EST, January 9, 2013

Suspect in Christmas beating arrested, released

Baltimore police have charged a man in the Christmas Day beating of Kenni Shaw, though it was not announced for several days as the city's gay community remained on edge amid fears of violence.

11:02 AM EST, December 19, 2012

Defense claims man saw Phylicia Barnes alive in Cecil Co.

Defense attorneys for the man accused of murdering Phylicia Barnes have filed motions claiming to have a witness who saw the teen alive in Cecil County and attacking the credibility of the lead police detective who investigated the case.

8:29 PM EST, January 1, 2013

City killings up to 217 as gun violence falls

Baltimore was unable in 2012 to sustain a significant milestone — the first drop below 200 homicides in a generation — but officials see reasons to remain optimistic that declines will resume.

10:32 PM EST, January 16, 2013

State scraps plans to build youth jail in Baltimore

After years of community opposition, state officials have abandoned plans to build a new Baltimore jail for juveniles charged as adults, citing declines in youth crimes as they unveiled a plan Wednesday to send more teens to treatment programs and renovate a smaller facility for defendants in violent offenses.

6:34 PM EST, December 17, 2012

Activists call for charges in man's police custody death

Activists gathered in front of a downtown Baltimore courthouse Monday, calling for State's Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein to bring charges against officers being investigated in the death of an East Baltimore man during an arrest.

9:33 PM EST, December 15, 2012

Key witness in Baltimore shooting case killed after club argument

Friday was Avon Ball's first night off "the box," finally finished with court-ordered home monitoring and ready to hit the town. "Who with me?" he posted on Facebook.

7:16 PM EST, December 13, 2012

BCCC employee charged in theft of student tuition

A Baltimore City Community College employee has been indicted on allegations that she directed student tuition payments into her personal bank account, the city prosecutor's office announced Thursday.

10:33 PM EST, December 1, 2012

Two dogs shot after attacking boy, 7, in Pasadena

A 7-year-old boy was flown to Johns Hopkins Children's Center after being attacked by two dogs in Pasadena, Anne Arundel County police said.

December 27, 2012

State troopers helping city police patrol high-crime areas

Baltimore police have enlisted state troopers to help with patrols as the city confronts a spike in crime, a move that puts to an end years of disagreement between the two agencies over the state force's role in local law enforcement.

6:20 PM EST, December 14, 2012

Infant saved from Oct. fire found dead in Northeast Baltimore

At just 4 months of age, Vance Williams III was already on his second chance at life.

7:41 PM EST, December 12, 2012

Man arrested in 2011 murder believed linked to recent killing

More than a year ago, police suspected that James Berry III had killed a man during a triple shooting in Bolton Hill, and they presented their evidence to prosecutors.

7:44 PM EST, November 28, 2012

Baltimore man, 20, charged with killing 7-week-old son

A 20-year-old man has been charged in the death of his infant son, police confirmed Wednesday.

7:13 PM EST, December 4, 2012

Trial postponed for Elkridge man charged in 1991 killing of wife

The murder trial of a Howard County man whose wife's body was found buried in the backyard of his home 21 years after she was reported missing has been postponed until next year because one of his attorneys had a medical issue.

7:13 PM EST, December 1, 2012

Men charged in shotgun robberies of area convenience stores

Two men have been indicted by federal prosecutors for allegedly robbing at least three Baltimore area convenience stores with a shotgun.

8:33 PM EST, November 8, 2012

Batts formally sworn in as Baltimore police commissioner

Anthony W. Batts was officially sworn in Thursday as Baltimore's 37th police commissioner, pledging to build trust with the community while continuing to reduce violent crime.

8:39 PM EST, November 24, 2012

A car chase turned deadly in Baltimore

"Drive," he pleaded, sweating and panting. "Just drive."

7:08 PM EST, November 14, 2012

Mayor addresses Baltimore police misconduct allegations

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, reacting Wednesday to news of a third city police officer suspended amid a criminal probe within a week, said officials deserve credit for taking action.

12:47 PM EST, November 7, 2012

Former mayor Dixon $14k behind in court-ordered payments

Former Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon has fallen behind by close to $14,000 on court-ordered payments stemming her plea deal in the corruption investigation that led to her resignation, according to state corrections filings.

10:49 AM EST, December 2, 2012

Local blogger surrenders to police after live broadcasting standoff

A Baltimore blogger wanted on a court-issued warrant refused to come out of his home for hours, broadcasting his discussion with a police negotiator live on the Internet before turning himself in peacefully.

5:53 PM EST, November 6, 2012

Pigtown stabbing victim identified, man dies in SW shooting

Baltimore police have identified a 55-year-old woman found stabbed inside her home in Pigtown and said a man who was driven to the hospital by a friend after being shot in Southwest Baltimore has died from his injuries.

10:32 AM EST, November 22, 2012

Number of people killed in Baltimore now higher than 2011

The number of people killed in Baltimore this year has exceeded the count from all of 2011 after a violent Wednesday that saw at least one stabbed and three shot — including two near the same corner where a 16-year-old was killed a day earlier.

7:44 PM EST, November 5, 2012

Fatal stabbing in Pigtown among city's recent violent incidents

A woman was found fatally stabbed Monday evening inside a home in Pigtown, one of several recent violent incidents being investigated by Baltimore police.

5:32 PM EST, November 5, 2012

City officers linked to towing scandal remain suspended

Nearly two years after a towing kickback scandal rocked the Baltimore Police Department, 14 officers who were not criminally charged remain suspended with pay and unavailable to perform police functions, officials said.

6:22 PM EST, November 16, 2012

Woman found in water Thursday in Canton was Hopkins professor

The woman who died Thursday after being pulled from the water off a pier in Canton has been identified as a Johns Hopkins neurology professor.

10:25 AM EDT, November 2, 2012

Street by street, new police commissioner is learning Baltimore

A group of children play ball in the courtyard after dark as Anthony W. Batts walks through a high-crime West Baltimore public housing project wrapped around the Edgar Allan Poe House.

12:04 PM EDT, November 2, 2012

Baltimore police officer charged with lying in search warrant

A Baltimore City police detective was charged Thursday with lying in a search warrant affidavit to gain entry to a Canton home, then trying to obstruct an ensuing internal affairs investigation.

9:05 PM EDT, October 27, 2012

Man fatally stabbed in domestic dispute in E. Baltimore

Police said a man was fatally stabbed Saturday morning in a domestic dispute, a killing that occurred the morning after two unrelated overnight shootings that injured five.

11:41 AM EDT, October 29, 2012

In two-thirds of delivery driver robberies, order was a ruse

With robberies of food delivery drivers in the news recently, The Baltimore Sun's Jonathan Pitts hit the streets with a 36-year-old man who delivers pizzas to talk about the inherent dangers.

7:14 PM EDT, October 26, 2012

Monae Turnage death leads to charges against boy's mother

The mother of one of the boys who accidentally shot 13-year-old Monae Turnage helped drag the girl's body into an alley behind the home and then hid the gun in a police officer's car, authorities alleged in court papers filed Friday.

5:06 PM EDT, October 20, 2012

State, city program gives security guards police powers

The two men wore body armor with "POLICE" written across the chest and spilled out of their unmarked car, weapons drawn, ordering Christopher Dukes and his passenger out of their vehicle at a South Baltimore gas station parking lot. When Dukes pulled off, they embarked on a high-speed chase down Interstate 295 until catching up and placing the pair under arrest, charging documents show.

4:21 PM EDT, October 22, 2012

Police ID man who died in E. Baltimore police pursuit crash

Baltimore police have identified the man who died Friday night after crashing into a tree during a police pursuit in East Baltimore.

6:57 PM EDT, October 15, 2012

Double shooting outside club revives debate over security

City police plan to meet with management of a downtown club after two people waiting in line were shot early Monday — a shooting that capped a violent weekend in Baltimore and has revived discussions about security around city bars and clubs.

6:11 PM EDT, October 16, 2012

After police custody death, Baltimore activist builds profile

Within an hour after an East Baltimore man died while in police custody, Cortly "C.D." Witherspoon got an urgent phone call from someone with connections to the family, asking for his help.

4:59 PM EDT, October 24, 2012

Big Boyz bail bondsman banned from city Central Booking

A Big Boyz bail bondsman has been banned from Central Booking after an exchange with jail staff, a move his attorney says was unnecessary.

8:30 PM EDT, October 23, 2012

Prosecutors: No wrongdoing by city police in pay probe

Two Baltimore police commanders have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing after an investigation into whether they improperly received overtime payments, the city state's attorney's office announced.

8:52 PM EDT, October 25, 2012

Sailor, Oliver native take different paths, both die in gunfire

One left the city to go to college and see the world with the Navy. The other refused to leave East Baltimore even after his mother moved south to make a better life for his siblings, instead staying to hang around on the corners.

7:14 PM EDT, October 18, 2012

Two Baltimore officers charged with assaulting drug suspect

Two Baltimore police officers have been charged with assaulting a man last year after he fled a drug arrest and tried to hide in one of the officers' girlfriend's home.

12:08 PM EDT, October 10, 2012

No charges against city officer in death of Monae Turnage, 13

City prosecutors have declined to press charges against a Baltimore police officer after an investigation into his conduct following the accidental shooting death of a 13-year-old girl, saying they did not have enough information to pursue a case.

6:26 PM EDT, October 22, 2012

State, city officials: more oversight needed of special police

City and state legislators say they will push for greater regulation of longstanding but little-known laws that allow security guards to be granted law enforcement powers to arrest and search citizens.

7:19 PM EDT, September 28, 2012

Two women killed in separate incidents in city

Two women died in separate shootings Thursday in Baltimore.

10:24 PM EDT, October 17, 2012

Batts confirmation forwarded to full Baltimore City Council

Baltimore's new police commissioner wants to expand his agency's focus beyond gun violence to burglaries, car break-ins and other crimes that affect a broader swath of citizens, he told the City Council panel that signed off on his confirmation Wednesday.

9:51 AM EDT, October 9, 2012

In Oakland, Batts' former post, police reforms criticized

The U.S. government should take over the Oakland Police Department — the California agency led for two years by Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts — because of a chronic failure to comply with a decade-old reform settlement, attorneys overseeing the case said in court papers.

7:09 PM EDT, October 4, 2012

Police investigate four shootings, including officer-involved

Four people were shot — including one by a city police officer — Wednesday night and Thursday morning in Baltimore, according to police.

12:06 AM EDT, October 4, 2012

Decorated officer at center of police custody death investigation

A decorated officer who was shot in the line of duty and testified before lawmakers about tightening gun laws is one of three officers being investigated in the death of an East Baltimore man during a drug arrest.

6:51 PM EDT, October 1, 2012

Youth jail plans moving forward, O'Malley says

Gov. Martin O'Malley said that plans for a new youth detention facility in Baltimore are "moving forward" and described the current building as "a very old and decrepit facility."

10:10 PM EDT, September 28, 2012

Theft of Renoir from BMA in 1951 earned little notice

It was the art theft investigation that went nowhere.

9:30 PM EDT, October 2, 2012

East Baltimore death in police custody ruled a homicide

The state medical examiner has determined that an East Baltimore man's death in police custody last month was a homicide caused by blunt force trauma, an account that conflicts with earlier assertions that he died from choking on drugs.

8:53 PM EDT, September 26, 2012

Prison gang leader pleads guilty after promising to defy government

A co-founder of the Dead Man Incorporated prison gang pleaded guilty Wednesday to his role in the group's murder-for-hire and drug-dealing conspiracy — ensuring that the former Baltimorean serves a life sentence even as he promised followers in missives from behind bars that he would continue to defy the government.

9:28 AM EDT, September 26, 2012

In-custody death brings anger with police in East Baltimore

In a filthy East Baltimore lot used as a shortcut and as a place to buy heroin, community leaders and relatives of a man who died in police custody railed against the police Tuesday and called for justice in the case.

8:24 PM EDT, September 22, 2012

New Baltimore Police Commissioner Batts seeks fresh start

Baltimore's next police commissioner is walking through a west-side neighborhood with some of the community's most engaged residents, but that's not enough for Anthony W. Batts.

10:22 AM EDT, September 20, 2012

Man shot through his front door in Southwest Baltimore

Police were investigating two shootings that occurred Wednesday in Southwest and East Baltimore.

2:24 PM EDT, October 16, 2012

Southern High School student arrested for knife, pellet gun

A 17-year-old student at Southern High School was arrested Tuesday morning after police say he was found in possession of a knife and an unloaded pellet gun.

8:31 PM EDT, September 19, 2012

Baltimore police officer Daniel Redd sentenced for drug dealing

Baltimore police officer Daniel Redd was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court to 20 years in federal prison for dealing drugs, bringing a close to a years-long probe into corruption accusations against the Northwest District veteran.

5:49 PM EDT, September 12, 2012

Westport murder victim identified as father of top basketball recruit

The 38-year-old man fatally shot over the weekend in South Baltimore's Westport neighborhood was the father of one of the top girls basketball recruits in the country, friends said.

7:53 PM EDT, August 29, 2012

Batts to get Council President Young's support as police commissioner

Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young met briefly Wednesday morning with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's pick for police commissioner and pledged to support him.

8:25 PM EDT, August 22, 2012

Few of Baltimore police shooting victims this year were armed

Baltimore Police have shot 10 people this year — eight of them fatally — leading some to question whether police are properly equipped to handle calls involving the mentally ill.

11:01 AM EDT, September 24, 2012

Baltimore police shoot man during early morning robbery

A 27-year-old robbery suspect was shot and wounded by Baltimore police after fighting with an officer, officials said Monday. The man was expected to survive.

6:15 PM EDT, September 22, 2012

New Baltimore Police Commissioner Batts seeks fresh start

Baltimore's next police commissioner is walking through a west-side neighborhood with some of the community's most engaged residents, but that's not enough for Anthony W. Batts.

8:21 PM EDT, September 24, 2012

Barksdale, Baltimore Police No. 2, out indefinitely

Acting Police Commissioner Anthony Barksdale, who was vying to be named to the job permanently, is taking medical leave and will be out "indefinitely," leaving the incoming chief without two of the agency's highest-ranking officers.

10:46 AM EDT, August 23, 2012

Two men in their 60s murdered in separate W. Baltimore incidents

City police are investigating the recent murders of two men in their 60s, both in West Baltimore.

8:27 PM EDT, September 18, 2012

Researcher dies in apparent Northeast Baltimore robbery

Peter Marvit never missed rehearsal with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, and this week he showed up wearing one of his trademark ties — short, fat, and brightly colored. After the three-hour practice concluded with "Carol of the Angels," director Tom Hall told everyone "to drive safe and be well."

7:12 PM EDT, September 11, 2012

City police seek personal records of man in taping lawsuit

Baltimore Police want to know whether a man suing police for deleting images from his camera at the 2010 Preakness has a drug history, and have reached out to his ex-wife and former employers, an effort his attorneys say amounts to harassment and intimidation.

7:27 PM EDT, August 20, 2012

Police make arrest in shooting that killed two brothers

Baltimore police have charged a man in a triple shooting that killed two brothers in Southwest Baltimore, a crime that investigators believe led to the retaliatory killing of the mother and brother of one of the suspects.

7:23 PM EDT, August 16, 2012

Triple shooting leaves two dead and one critical

Two men were killed and an unidentified woman was critically wounded in a shooting late Wednesday in Southwest Baltimore, police said.

8:35 PM EDT, September 13, 2012

Arrest made in fatal Mid-Town double shooting case

Rookie Baltimore police officers Jason Dipaola and Steven Vinias were sent to Mount Vernon to provide a sense of security to a neighborhood shaken by a double shooting. They may have ended up solving the case.

5:44 PM EDT, September 19, 2012

Domestic assault charges to be dropped if Carr completes program

Domestic assault charges against high school basketball standout Aquille Carr will be dropped if he completes a 22-week program with the House of Ruth, his attorney said.

7:30 PM EDT, August 16, 2012

Md. man accused in cannibal case deemed incompetent to stand trial

Alexander Kinyua, the college student accused of killing a family friend and ingesting his heart and brain, has been declared incompetent to stand trial, according to court records.

10:16 PM EDT, August 14, 2012

Hundreds hold vigil for Mount Vernon shooting victims

Many of the hundreds gathered Tuesday at Mount Vernon's Washington Monument had their perceptions of safety shaken last week, after a double shooting that critically wounded a gregarious neighborhood ambassador and claimed the life of a recent transplant looking to jump-start a photography career.

4:12 PM EDT, September 12, 2012

Contract approved for new city Police Commissioner Batts

Baltimore's spending board unanimously approved an eight-year contract with Police Commissioner-designate Anthony W. Batts at its meeting Wednesday morning.

10:23 PM EDT, August 28, 2012

Batts, new Baltimore police chief pick, says he's committed

Baltimore's next police commissioner believes the drug trade is at the core of crime problems from car break-ins to gang killings. And it's an issue that Anthony W. Batts says he's seen up close.

6:22 PM EDT, August 24, 2012

Homicides mount in Baltimore's Southwestern District

Terrance Gough bought a king-size mattress, unpacked his clothes and arranged the bedroom in his uncle's Southwest Baltimore home just the way he liked it.

11:34 AM EDT, August 7, 2012

One dead, one wounded in Cherry Hill shooting

Gunfire in Baltimore's Cherry Hill neighborhood late Monday has left one man dead and another wounded.

7:33 PM EDT, August 15, 2012

U.S. Justice Department tours Baltimore jail on Wednesday

Department of Justice officials toured the Baltimore City Detention Center on Wednesday amid complaints about conditions for juveniles held at the facility, officials confirmed.

9:21 PM EDT, August 10, 2012

Man killed, neighborhood leader critically injured in Mid-Town

A shooting early Friday outside a small inn and residence next to the Belvedere Hotel in the Mid-Town neighborhood left a 41-year-old man dead and another critically wounded, police said.

6:35 PM EDT, August 13, 2012

Ex-Senator Theatre owner jailed, accused of harassment, trespassing

Days after operators of Baltimore's Senator Theatre accused former owner Tom Kiefaber of trespassing at the movie house and harassing workers, Kiefaber was arrested Monday at the site.

9:23 PM EDT, August 18, 2012

Woman, 94, assaulted, robbed as unpaid taxes scam continues

Baltimore police continued to warn against a scam targeting the elderly for robberies, saying new incidents were reported Saturday.

7:13 PM EDT, August 3, 2012

Police shake up Southwest leadership after spate of shootings

Acting Police Commissioner Anthony E. Barksdale ordered a shake-up of the command in the department's Southwest District after a spate of shootings that left five dead and several wounded in the past week.

8:11 PM EDT, August 8, 2012

Police fail to take report of burglary at Canton restaurant

A burglary at Marie Branch's breakfast restaurant in Canton spooked her enough that she scrapped her popular late-night hours. But it wasn't enough to get police to write a report of the incident.

11:46 PM EDT, August 18, 2012

Aquille Carr, Baltimore high school basketball star, arrested

Aquille Carr, a star basketball guard at Patterson High School whose electrifying play earned him the nickname "Crimestopper," was released from jail late Saturday after being arrested on a domestic assault charge.

7:46 PM EDT, August 2, 2012

Attacks among youth at Baltimore's adult jail continue

The city judge didn't need to hear from the boy — his black eye told the story.

7:07 PM EDT, August 6, 2012

Man shot by police in Northwest Baltimore courthouse parking lot

A 25-year-old man was shot by a city police officer in the parking lot of a Northwest Baltimore courthouse Monday morning after he fled while being taken into custody and tried to run down an officer with a vehicle, police said.

6:16 PM EDT, August 18, 2012

Police say man fatally shot after attacking officer in W. Baltimore

Baltimore police fatally shot a man in West Baltimore Saturday after he slashed an officer who was investigating a burglary complaint, officials said.

7:46 PM EDT, August 14, 2012

Cherry Hill security guards act as rogue police, suit claims

More than 20 Cherry Hill residents have filed a $25 million lawsuit against a Cleveland-based security company, claiming the company's officers routinely overstep their authority and abuse citizens' rights.

7:59 PM EDT, August 17, 2012

Mother of shooting suspect gunned down, raising fears of further reprisal

The mother and the brother of a suspect in a triple shooting were gunned down in an ambush outside their Northeast Baltimore home, according to sources, prompting police to assign a special unit of top investigators to stop the "momentum of violence."

8:33 PM EDT, August 27, 2012

New police commissioner expected to be former Oakland chief

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has selected former Oakland, Calif., Police Chief Anthony Batts as Baltimore's next police commissioner, bringing in a leader who has been hailed as an innovator but who struggled to push his agenda at his last job.

10:27 PM EDT, July 25, 2012

Vi Ripken abducted at gunpoint, quietly returned

Bound and abducted in her own vehicle, Violet Ripken was gone for 12 hours before her disappearance was reported to authorities. And amid an intensive search, she was quietly dropped off by her kidnapper on her secluded Harford County street.

5:28 PM EDT, July 31, 2012

Baltimore police investigating homicide, nonfatal shooting

Baltimore police are investigating a homicide in West Baltimore that occurred early Monday, as well as a shooting Monday afternoon that left a man in critical condition.

9:09 PM EDT, August 6, 2012

Youth detainees transferred to air-conditioned building within city jail

Youths detained at the Baltimore City Detention Center were moved over the weekend into a building that has air conditioning, state officials confirmed.

9:48 PM EDT, July 28, 2012

Youth in city jail face 'deplorable' conditions

Before the other boys jumped Tyrone, they asked if he wanted to fight.

10:09 PM EDT, July 26, 2012

Police release suspect photo, offer reward in Vi Ripken abduction

A manhunt continued Thursday for the man who kidnapped baseball matriarch Violet R. Ripken, as Aberdeen police released a surveillance video image of a suspect and several law-enforcement agencies joined the small-town force in the search.

7:18 PM EDT, July 24, 2012

Baltimore basketball community mourns man killed Monday

A 23-year-old former high school basketball player was gunned down during a West Baltimore robbery Monday, police said, sending a ripple of sadness through the area's basketball community.

7:07 PM EDT, August 5, 2012

U.S. Justice Department hasn't visited city jail despite oversight agreement

The U.S. Justice Department's civil rights division has not visited the Baltimore City Detention Center in nearly two years, despite an agreement with the state to oversee reforms at the facility.

7:59 PM EDT, June 20, 2012

Four shot as Baltimore reaches 100 homicides

Four people were shot in Baltimore between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, including two fatally, which pushed the city's homicide count to 100 for the year.

10:52 PM EDT, July 28, 2012

Mysterious downtown Baltimore death reported early Saturday

Three men were found dead in Baltimore late Friday and early Saturday, as a spate of violence left two other men wounded.

10:21 PM EDT, June 18, 2012

Bealefeld hopes his legacy includes spurring community to action

Cynthia Gross' first interaction with Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III came at a community meeting about seven months ago, when she stood up to complain about officers being overly aggressive. In a room full of stone-faced officers, you could hear a pin drop, she recalled.

12:00 PM EDT, June 15, 2012

Man charged with fatally shaking girlfriend's 1-year-old daughter

A 22-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend's 14-month-old daughter, city officials said Friday.

2:19 PM EDT, July 24, 2012

Close call: Woman falls onto subway track at State Center

A woman who fell onto the subway track at the State Center Metro station was seriously injured but is expected to survive after crawling into a space under the platform.

5:25 PM EDT, July 21, 2012

87-year-old man killed in single-vehicle crash in Ellicott City

An 87-year-old man was killed Saturday afternoon in a single-vehicle crash in Howard County, county police said.

10:45 PM EDT, July 16, 2012

Water main break causes disruptions in downtown Baltimore

Commuters to Baltimore are likely to face heavy traffic and major delays Tuesday, after a large water main break downtown buckled the surface of Light Street and sent water gushing through Lombard and Pratt streets.

6:53 PM EDT, July 12, 2012

Buttocks injections send Ga. woman to prison for 3 years

An Atlanta woman is going to federal prison for injecting the buttocks of women across the country with silicone intended to be used as a paint additive or furniture polish, with one procedure causing serious injuries to a Baltimore exotic dancer.

12:19 PM EDT, July 20, 2012

Man wounded in Belair-Parkside barbershop shooting

A 39-year-old man was wounded after a gunman opened fire in a Northeast Baltimore barbershop early Friday, police said.

6:20 PM EDT, July 16, 2012

Signs of violent struggle remain in N. Baltimore home

Hours after a triple shooting that claimed the life of one man, signs of the carnage remained all too clear in this Mid-Govans home in North Baltimore.

7:28 AM EDT, June 13, 2012

Wounded warriors travel with Bealefeld to New York City

The bus carrying Cody Stanton and other wounded soldiers breezed up Interstate 95 on Tuesday to the site of the former World Trade Center in New York, with an escort arranged by Baltimore's police commissioner.

5:39 PM EDT, July 21, 2012

Man gets 19 years after second robbery at same Arundel bank

Randall Shreve Jr.'s 1999 robbery of the Carrollton Bank in Glen Burnie didn't go so well, but it didn't stop him from trying again, federal prosecutors say.

6:24 PM EDT, July 14, 2012

On the beat in Cherry Hill, young officer brings in three targets

Amid the deluge of be-on-the-lookouts and other information dumped on Southern District officers during afternoon roll call Friday, there are three names that stick out to Officer Andre Smith Jr.

7:46 PM EDT, July 12, 2012

Baltimore detective must resign over grocery store theft

A veteran Baltimore police detective must resign from the department after being placed on probation for stealing groceries with her daughter, a cashier at the store where the theft occurred.

7:06 PM EDT, June 11, 2012

Baltimore falls out of top 5 murder rate cities

For the first time in years, Baltimore is no longer among the nation's five deadliest cities, according to statistics for 2011 compiled by the FBI and released Monday.

7:38 PM EDT, July 27, 2012

City police seeking stolen vehicle related to North Baltimore killing

Baltimore police say the men who fatally shot a 34-year-old North Baltimore man took his car, and they were asking for the public's help in locating the vehicle.

11:03 AM EDT, July 11, 2012

City police union offers sweeping critique of agency strategy

Baltimore's police union is calling for an overhaul of the department, describing the agency's management strategy as "outdated, ineffective and reactive" and proposing changes that it said would boost officer morale and reduce crime across the city.

6:31 PM EDT, July 31, 2012

Alleged contract killer charged in undercover FBI sting

An alleged Baltimore contract killer who went by the street name "Tony Montana" is in federal custody after authorities say he agreed to execute the associate of an apparent drug dealer — who was actually an undercover FBI agent.

6:57 PM EDT, June 26, 2012

After nine-year wait, Baltimore man cleared in killing

As far as retired homicide detective Darryl Massey was concerned, the investigation into the fatal shooting of Gary Johnson Jr. was closed in June 2003 — a simple case of a man protecting his home and family from an intruder.

12:55 PM EDT, June 11, 2012

Paper trail helped tell story of Maryland cannibalism suspect

Any time a high-profile crime is committed, reporters want to start digging into the background of the suspect. It can not only reveal new insight into that individual but potentially expose failures in the system, which can serve as a guide for preventing future tragedy.

8:03 PM EDT, June 19, 2012

Md. man accused of cannibalism is indicted, moved to mental hospital

Alexander Kinyua, the 21-year-old accused of killing a man and eating his organs, has been formally indicted on charges of first-degree murder and assault and has been sent to a Maryland state mental hospital.

10:35 PM EDT, July 10, 2012

City firefighter charged with running prostitution ring, unlicensed club

A Baltimore firefighter has been charged with running an online prostitution ring and unlicensed after-hours club in a Southwest Baltimore warehouse, less than two years after he received probation in Baltimore County in a similar sex trafficking case.

4:55 PM EDT, June 10, 2012

City heroin death is first overdose ruled a homicide in years

Amber Brown, 24, was complaining of chest pains the night police say she and her girlfriend drank alcohol and injected each other with heroin in their Northeast Baltimore apartment. Brown passed out and never woke up; her companion could face criminal charges.

7:50 PM EDT, June 7, 2012

Baltimore police struggle to close murders with few talking

Angela Holland seems to know just about everyone in her North Baltimore neighborhood.

8:48 PM EDT, June 14, 2012

Hampden ATF sting latest in series of ruse operations

The suspects had gathered under the Jones Falls Expressway in Hampden around lunchtime with the intention of committing a robbery, authorities said. But as federal agents closed in, one suspect attempted to run down an officer and was shot as a quick-response team threw stun grenades to disorient the others.

6:03 PM EDT, June 7, 2012

Police identify victim, officer in fatal Upper Fells Point shooting

Baltimore Police have identified the victim and officer in a fatal police-involved shooting that occurred last week in Upper Fells Point.

3:20 PM EDT, July 21, 2012

Man critical after being shot multiple times in face

A 21-year-old man was in critical condition after being shot multiple times in the face and body early Saturday morning in Northwest Baltimore, police said.

9:13 PM EDT, July 2, 2012

Baltimore braces for Fourth of July crowds

Baltimore police say they plan to change some tactics from last year's Fourth of July celebration to make sure the violence that stained the event won't happen again.

7:05 PM EDT, June 13, 2012

Family of girl wounded in shooting sues GPS company

The mother of a young girl hit with a stray bullet fired by a juvenile offender who was under GPS tracking is seeking millions of dollars from the state vendor that provides the monitoring, claiming in a lawsuit that the company knew its product was flawed.

7:26 AM EDT, July 17, 2012

Water main break causes disruptions in downtown Baltimore

Commuters to Baltimore faced heavy traffic and major delays Tuesday, after a large water main break downtown buckled the surface of Light Street and sent water gushing through Lombard and Pratt streets.

5:57 PM EDT, June 28, 2012

Man, 66, struck by vehicle, killed near Penn Station

A 66-year-old Towson man was struck and killed by a vehicle near Penn Station on Thursday morning, city police said.

6:54 PM EDT, June 27, 2012

Killing is latest in spike in city's residential neighborhoods

A man was shot and killed Tuesday night in Baltimore's West Forest Park neighborhood, as killings in the city's Northwest District approached the total for all of last year.

11:48 PM EDT, June 5, 2012

Victim believes bat attack foreshadowed Md. cannibal case

It wasn't the beating by baseball bat that most frightened Joshua Ceasar, who was left with a fractured skull and a blinded eye. It was the scene that his friends described to him afterward: his alleged attacker Alexander Kinyua standing over his unconscious body, holding a knife.

5:06 PM EDT, June 26, 2012

Man, linked with brother to spate of robberies, pleads guilty to 2 murders

A 24-year-old man admitted to killing two men over a span of about 48 hours in downtown Baltimore last year, crimes that came a few days after he and his brother are alleged to have committed a rash of robberies across the city on a Sunday morning.

June 10, 2012

Rawlings-Blake names panel to look for Bealefeld replacement

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has named an advisory panel to assist in the search for the city's next police commissioner following the retirement of Frederick H. Bealefeld III.

11:59 PM EDT, May 25, 2012

Memorial Day weekend patrols stepped up after 8 are shot

Eight people were shot — including six in two triple shootings — Thursday night in Baltimore, an "intolerable" burst of violence that killed three and which police said would spur extra patrols going into Memorial Day weekend.

8:34 PM EDT, May 31, 2012

Maryland man charged with killing, eating man's brain, heart

The 21-year-old college student allegedly told detectives that he hadn't just killed the man who'd lived with his family for months, but had eaten his heart and portions of his brain. The victim's severed head and hands were found in the men's Harford County home; more remains were left in a trash container outside a church.

10:54 AM EDT, May 22, 2012

Two injured, one killed in Baltimore violence

Three separate violent acts left two men injured and one dead between Monday night and Tuesday morning in Baltimore, police said.

10:12 PM EDT, June 4, 2012

Cannibalism suspect described in police report as 'Virginia Tech waiting to happen'

Five months before a Morgan State University student was charged with dismembering a family friend and eating his heart and parts of his brain, a school instructor flagged the 21-year-old's erratic behavior, describing him as "a Virginia Tech waiting to happen."

7:35 PM EDT, May 21, 2012

Officer thrown from I-83 sues driver, vehicle owner

The Baltimore police officer who was thrown over the side of Interstate 83 and fell 20 feet after a car crashed into her vehicle as she helped a stranded motorist has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the driver and the owner of the vehicle.

3:31 PM EDT, May 21, 2012

Man, 43, stabbed by stepson, 16, dies of injuries

A 43-year-old man who police say was stabbed more than 20 times last month by his stepson during an argument over money died late last week from his injuries, according to police and court records.

7:58 PM EDT, May 14, 2012

Four homicides reported in Baltimore on Mother's Day

Baltimore police are investigating four homicides and a nonfatal shooting that occurred Sunday during a violent weekend that also left a 36-year-old woman in critical condition after her car was shot at as she sat at a stoplight.

7:08 PM EDT, May 18, 2012

City prosecutors charge group tied to killing, shootings

When a relative of accused druglord Robert G. Moore was stabbed and killed during a robbery, authorities say, Moore vowed to avenge the death.

9:08 PM EDT, May 9, 2012

Panel of experts to aid search for Baltimore's top cop

Baltimore officials said Wednesday that they plan to bring together a panel of experts and hire an outside firm in their search for the city's next police commissioner, even as two potential candidates got an audition of sorts before the City Council.

7:23 PM EDT, May 14, 2012

Baltimore's oldest black cemetery finally restored, with help of inmates

Five years after burying his father, Samuel W. Moore could no longer find the grave.

5:13 PM EDT, May 8, 2012

Man killed girlfriend, bound young son in Baltimore housing project, police say

A boy who came home from school and found his mother dead was then bound with belts and duct tape by her alleged killer, whom police arrested last week.

5:40 PM EDT, May 2, 2012

City expands crime cameras into Northeast Baltimore

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake climbed into a cherry picker Wednesday morning, rising above Harford Road to install a new surveillance camera in Northeast Baltimore, one of 33 the city is adding to a network that has grown to nearly 600.

8:34 PM EDT, May 30, 2012

After man's alleged killing by adopted son, family says it was an 'isolated incident'

George Stevenson grew up in a family that cared for numerous foster children, and after mentoring and coaching boys in youth baseball for years, he decided to adopt a child of his own.

7:32 PM EDT, May 1, 2012

Youths charged in killing of girl, 13, admit guilt

Two city youths charged with fatally shooting a 13-year-old girl in the chest and then hiding her body under a pile of trash in an East Baltimore alley admitted to their respective roles in the killing Tuesday afternoon in juvenile court.

9:00 PM EDT, April 26, 2012

Sister's ex-boyfriend charged with murder in Phylicia Barnes case

For nearly a decade, Michael Maurice Johnson dated the half-sister of Phylicia Barnes. He went along on family trips, and played basketball with their brother. He was like family, and considered Phylicia a "little sister," relatives say.

8:13 PM EDT, May 23, 2012

State agency looks at larger juvenile facilities

The state's juvenile services secretary says he is considering expanding the size of privately run residential facilities for young offenders as his agency grapples with a shortage of beds.

10:00 PM EDT, June 1, 2012

Accused Maryland cannibal, victim both had legal troubles

As an electrical engineering student at Morgan State University, Alexander Kinyua was described by a professor as "docile" and dedicated, always looking to improve himself. On the Internet, Kinyua — now accused of killing a family friend and eating his heart and parts of his brain — donned green-and-white face paint and warned of impending strife.

8:03 PM EDT, April 25, 2012

Investigation into allegations of rogue police raid broadens

The investigation of a Baltimore homicide detective, accused of conducting an unauthorized search at an apartment while looking for his missing teenage daughter, has broadened as authorities seek to determine whether other law enforcement resources were used to aid the search.

7:46 PM EDT, April 17, 2012

Woman, 22, killed in crash with man eluding police in W. Baltimore

A 22-year-old woman was killed and her infant daughter injured Monday night after a man eluding city police ran a red light and plowed into her vehicle in West Baltimore, authorities said.

7:17 PM EDT, May 16, 2012

Boys sentenced for roles in killing of Monae Turnage

The young boys involved in the shooting death of Monae Turnage, whose body they hid under trash bags in an East Baltimore alley, were sentenced in juvenile court Wednesday.

6:55 PM EDT, May 17, 2012

Woman, 78, scared after two close to her are shot in Baltimore

There's a swirl of violence occurring around 78-year-old Florence Carter, and she says she doesn't know why. But for the first time in nearly five decades, she's being forced to contemplate moving out of her Northeast Baltimore home.

8:00 PM EDT, April 17, 2012

Three arrested in May 2011 shooting of 12-year-old boy

Three people have been arrested in a May 2011 quadruple shooting in East Baltimore that killed a 12-year-old who was sitting on a porch, watching a basketball game on television.

10:27 PM EDT, May 3, 2012

Baltimore Police Commissioner Bealefeld resigns

Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III announced his resignation Thursday, ending a 31-year career on the force that included overseeing a steep decline in the murder rate — but left him exhausted by the pressures of the job.

3:55 PM EDT, May 17, 2012

DOJ seeks to tighten Baltimore policy on recording police

The U.S. Department of Justice isn't satisfied with the Baltimore Police Department's recently issued orders on the public's right to record officers.

7:53 PM EDT, May 3, 2012

Authorities investigate mother of juvenile who admitted role in girl's killing, lawyer says

The mother of a juvenile suspect who admitted this week to accidentally shooting 13-year-old Monae Turnage is being investigated in connection with circumstances surrounding the killing, the woman's attorney has confirmed.

9:42 PM EDT, April 29, 2012

City police investigating two suspicious deaths Sunday

Baltimore police were investigating two deaths preliminarily considered "questionable," in South and Northwest Baltimore, officials said.

5:49 PM EDT, April 27, 2012

Man, 23, found stabbed near Lexington Market dies of injuries

A 23-year-old man was stabbed to death Thursday in a downtown neighborhood just north of Lexington Market, and police said they have charged a man in the killing.

8:16 PM EDT, April 29, 2012

Terps' Howard arrested, cited for disorderly conduct

Maryland Terrapins men's basketball player Pe'Shon Howard was arrested early Sunday and given a criminal citation for disorderly conduct, a university police spokesman confirmed.

10:35 AM EDT, April 14, 2012

Man arrested on gun charge related to girl's accidental shooting

A 21-year-old man has been served with a warrant charging him with possession of the rifle allegedly used by a younger relative to fatally shoot 13-year-old Monae Turnage last month in East Baltimore, officials said.

9:52 PM EDT, April 24, 2012

Detective suspended in rogue search for missing daughter

A Baltimore police detective who was thrust into the national spotlight while leading the investigation into a teenager who disappeared has been suspended after authorities said he allegedly went on a rogue hunt for his own missing daughter.

7:04 PM EDT, April 14, 2012

New defendant is 23^rd charged in Dead Man Inc. gang case

A 23^rd suspect has been charged in an indictment against the Maryland-based prison gang Dead Man Inc., according to documents recently unsealed in federal court.

7:01 PM EDT, April 30, 2012

Baltimore police not meeting terms of legal settlement, ACLU says

Nearly 20 percent of arrests made by Baltimore police for low-level, "quality-of-life" crimes haven't been properly documented, according to a new audit that a civil liberties group says understates the agency's shortcomings in meeting terms of a legal settlement.

9:55 PM EDT, April 3, 2012

Mega Millionaire 'Bunky' Bartlett says life of a lottery winner isn't easy

A Tarot card might have foretold that Ellwood "Bunky" Bartlett would win $32.6 million in the 2007 lottery.

3:48 PM EDT, April 13, 2012

Sixth city officer in kickback scheme gets 2 years in prison

A sixth Baltimore Police officer was sentenced Friday for his role in a massive kickback scheme involving an auto body shop, receiving two years in prison and being ordered to pay $24,000 in restitution.

4:02 PM EDT, March 23, 2012

Police file, drop charges in Northeast Baltimore man's murder

City police filed murder charges against a 22-year-old who they say shot and killed a man in a Northeast Baltimore parking lot, while dropping charges against a teenager who was standing with the victim and had fired back at the assailant.

6:14 PM EDT, April 12, 2012

Baltimore police moving toward videotaped interrogations

The Baltimore Police Department is taking steps to begin videotaping interrogations in its most serious criminal investigations — a long-resisted move that is being adopted by an increasing number of Maryland law-enforcement agencies.

7:39 PM EDT, April 10, 2012

Bealefeld: Downtown beating not a hate crime

Baltimore's top cop warned Tuesday against "race-baiting" amid rising tensions across the nation, citing the Trayvon Martin case and cautioning that a video generating outrage on the Internet of a tourist being beaten and stripped in downtown Baltimore does not appear to depict a hate crime.

6:00 PM EDT, April 5, 2012

No murder charges in E. Baltimore shootout, but two men not off the hook

Prosecutors say the fatal shooting of an East Baltimore man in February was justifiable self-defense, but they're not letting the shooters off the hook completely.

9:20 PM EDT, April 27, 2012

Details in Phylicia Barnes murder emerge at hearing

Prosecutors alleged Friday that the 28-year-old man charged with murdering Phylicia Barnes asphyxiated the teenager in her sister's Northwest Baltimore apartment, and then moved her body using a 35-gallon plastic tub.

1:35 PM EDT, March 29, 2012

O'Malley expected to free Baltimore inmate convicted of murder

Gov. Martin O'Malley is expected to commute the sentence of a Baltimore man serving a life sentence for murder, using that power for the first time during his tenure.

5:50 PM EDT, March 24, 2012

Community leader questions lack of pay from police

Every week for nearly a year, Sonnie Jones visited the Baltimore Police Academy to help put on a demonstration about how officers could better interact with residents in the city's crime-ridden neighborhoods.

11:46 AM EDT, April 14, 2012

$1 million bond set for man charged in videotaped beating

The 20-year-old man charged in connection with the recent assault and robbery in downtown Baltimore of a visitor who was stripped of his clothes was ordered held on $1 million bond Saturday morning, court records show.

7:43 PM EDT, March 22, 2012

Baltimore fire chief floats workforce reduction, more hours

Baltimore Fire Chief James Clack floated a plan Thursday to reduce the ranks by 25 percent and extend firefighters' workweeks by 14 hours, which he says could save the city $10 million annually.

7:49 PM EDT, March 19, 2012

Police turn out at blood drive in honor of injured officer

Those who work in public safety consider themselves part of a brotherhood. But for the purposes of organ donation, a brother in blue may not be quite family enough, as Officer Gene Cassidy is finding out.

6:14 PM EDT, March 21, 2012

Surge in city shootings, with four more shot overnight

One person was killed and three were wounded in shootings Tuesday night and Wednesday morning as a surge in violence that began Friday continued.

12:06 PM EDT, March 30, 2012

O'Malley grants clemency to two serving life sentences

Since his arrest as a young teenager 29 years ago, Mark Farley Grant has never wavered: He did not kill Michael Gough that winter night in West Baltimore.

7:03 PM EDT, April 14, 2012

Best Buy to close Inner Harbor, Hunt Valley stores in May

Best Buy will close its Inner Harbor and Hunt Valley stores in May, part of a move to shutter 50 locations across the country.

7:54 PM EDT, April 20, 2012

Husband makes court appearance in missing-woman murder case

Robert Jarrett shuffled over to the red plastic chair and sat down, then used both of his shackled hands to slide on a pair of glasses.

1:37 PM EDT, March 21, 2012

Surge in city shootings, with four more shot overnight

One person was killed and three were wounded in shootings Tuesday night and Wednesday morning as a surge in violence that began Friday continued.

9:34 PM EDT, April 9, 2012

No charges for Orioles' Opening Day field jumper

6:22 PM EDT, April 4, 2012

City police seek tips in killing of 19-year-old in North Baltimore

Baltimore police are asking for the public's help in solving the shooting death of a 19-year-old man in North Baltimore's Glen Oaks neighborhood.

12:30 PM EDT, March 20, 2012

Police investigate 'drive-up' shooting in Southeast Baltimore

A 37-year-old man was shot and killed in a quiet Southeast Baltimore neighborhood after a gunman drove up alongside his vehicle at an intersection and opened fire.

9:11 PM EDT, April 19, 2012

Husband charged when wife's remains found 20 years after disappearance

Most homes along Claire Road in a middle-class Elkridge neighborhood have a backyard shed, but underneath one of them, authorities say, a family secret has been buried for more than two decades.

6:54 PM EDT, April 10, 2012

Honduran man wanted on murder charges detained in Randallstown

An MS-13 gang member wanted in Honduras in the killing of a man with a machete was arrested Monday at his home in Randallstown, federal authorities announced.

2:41 PM EDT, April 15, 2012

West Baltimore man becomes 50^th homicide victim of 2012

A 34-year-old West Baltimore man became the 50^th person killed in the city this year after he was shot in the Druid Heights neighborhood on Saturday.

8:13 PM EDT, March 19, 2012

Safe Streets violence mediation program coming to West Baltimore

Franklin Lance knows his West Baltimore neighborhood can be great — located near to Druid Hill Park, it's home to the city's biggest shopping mall, a public university, and a network of active churches and community groups.

8:20 PM EDT, March 27, 2012

Man, 21, fatally shot by police in North Baltimore

A Baltimore Police officer fatally shot a knife-wielding man after responding to a family disturbance in North Baltimore, officials said Tuesday, the first police shooting since the department implemented new rules governing the investigation of such incidents.

6:57 PM EDT, April 10, 2012

City police say man shot by officer in West Baltimore

A man was shot and wounded by a Baltimore police officer in West Baltimore on Tuesday morning.

12:20 AM EDT, March 16, 2012

Baltimore police identify three recent homicide victims

City police have identified three recent homicide victims.

8:59 PM EDT, April 4, 2012

Internet shock video helps Baltimore police find victim, possible suspect

At first, the video of a man being beaten and stripped in downtown Baltimore appeared to be just another tantalizing shock clip for the Internet. But in recent days, thanks to social media users as far away as California, it could prove instrumental in solving the case.

8:02 PM EDT, March 16, 2012

Amid a shooting, a street corner pastor preaches salvation

The two men, wearing slacks and ties, are standing on an East Baltimore street corner in front of a vacant lot. Raymond Staubs, 29, squats down and flips on a guitar amp. In one hand is a Bible, in the other a microphone.

8:30 PM EDT, March 15, 2012

State still pursuing $250,000 in bail-jumping case

When Asa Bell fled the country in 2008 while free on $250,000 bail on gun and drug charges in Baltimore, the bail bond company appeared to be stuck with the tab from the state.

8:50 PM EST, March 7, 2012

Mayor 'disgusted' over police allegations in girl's death

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on Wednesday called allegations that a city police officer may have been involved in the aftermath of a fatal shooting of a 13-year-old girl "disgusting."

8:50 PM EDT, March 13, 2012

Suspended officer's attorney warns against rush to judgment

A defense attorney cautioned Tuesday against a "rush to judgment" as a Baltimore police officer is investigated for his conduct following a 13-year-old girl's fatal shooting.

12:35 AM EST, March 7, 2012

Suspected weapon in child shooting found in city officer's vehicle

A Baltimore police officer has been suspended for his "conduct" in the aftermath of the shooting of a 13-year-old girl, and after the weapon police suspect was used in the crime was found in his personal vehicle, according to law enforcement sources.

8:18 PM EDT, March 20, 2012

City police will not renew contract for officer training

The Baltimore Police Department has decided not to renew a contract with a New York-based nonprofit to provide support to a key training program, with officials saying that the training can continue without paying outside consultants.

11:31 AM EDT, March 14, 2012

Man killed, three others wounded in city shootings

City police were investigating three overnight shootings that wounded three and left one dead.

6:44 PM EST, March 5, 2012

2 former Orioles batboys say they were abused by former Red Sox clubhouse manager

As a teenager growing up in the shadow of Memorial Stadium, working as a batboy in the clubhouses with the Baltimore Orioles and opposing teams was a dream job for Ronald Shelton.

6:13 PM EST, February 23, 2012

Detectives investigate fatal a.m. shooting near W. Baltimore school

Baltimore homicide detectives were investigating a fatal shooting Thursday morning near Westside Elementary School, while two men were also shot in separate incidents on the city's east side Wednesday night.

6:42 PM EST, March 8, 2012

AG asks judge to lift court order on gun permits

The Maryland attorney general's office has filed a motion to delay an order from a federal judge finding that the state's handgun permitting process is unconstitutional, pending an appeal.

11:05 PM EST, February 6, 2012

Three city shootings leave one dead, one seriously wounded

One man was killed and another seriously wounded Monday afternoon in separate shootings, according to city police. A third man was shot Monday night.

4:56 PM EST, January 12, 2012

Gang leader gets five years in federal prison

A woman accused of helping oversee the prison-based Black Guerilla Family gang was sentenced to five years in federal prison, federal authorities announced Thursday.

9:23 PM EST, February 17, 2012

Double life as drug dealer leads to federal prison

Christian Gettis says he doesn't know why men rushed into his Northeast Baltimore home in late 2010, tied up his wife and shot him multiple times. Federal prosecutors said Friday they suspect it probably had something to do with his heroin ring.

10:43 PM EST, January 20, 2012

Man arrested in 2000 Dundalk killing not long-time suspect

For years, Baltimore County police were convinced that 24-year-old Heidi Bernadzikowski was killed in 2000 by her boyfriend.

8:45 PM EST, March 5, 2012

Boys, 12 and 13, killed girl with rifle, police say

A 13-year-old girl whose body was found buried under trash bags behind a Northeast Baltimore rowhouse had been shot by her young companions while playing with a rifle, according to relatives and police who arrested two youths Monday.

8:15 PM EST, February 29, 2012

Police: Man killed daughter, 5, because she had accident

A Baltimore man has been charged with killing his 5-year-old daughter after he told police that he beat her in anger because she soiled herself, according to court records.

7:29 PM EST, March 7, 2012

Second victim dies after Monday double shooting in W. Baltimore

A second man who was shot Monday night in Southwest Baltimore has died from his injuries, police said as they released the names of both victims Wednesday.

9:28 PM EST, February 22, 2012

Baltimore cops behaving badly on display at kickbacks trial

Though just two Baltimore officers accused of taking kickbacks from Majestic Auto Repair are on trial this week in federal court, witnesses, prosecutors and attorneys have broadly described police behaving badly.

9:43 PM EST, February 15, 2012

Baltimore police praise training programs at city council hearing

A parade of Baltimore police officers, from rookies to a 30-year veteran, told City Council members Wednesday night that training programs developed by the department have sharpened their skills and helped build camaraderie among the ranks.

10:04 PM EST, January 18, 2012

Man detained in I-95 shooting incident

A 34-year-old Joppa man was charged Wednesday with first-degree assault and reckless endangerment after allegedly firing shots at another vehicle while driving north on Interstate 95 near the exit for Route 152.

8:47 PM EST, January 27, 2012

New heads of city police discipline, training speak of reforms

Baltimore police officials said Friday that the new heads of training and internal discipline — hires made from outside the department — will help restore public trust in an agency marred in the past year by corruption and a "friendly-fire" incident in which an officer was killed.

4:24 PM EST, March 3, 2012

Md. campuses struggle over when to issue emergency alerts

As a suspected gunman walked across Towson University, officials sent an emergency notification through text alert, email and Twitter to some 25,000 students and faculty, warning them of the man's whereabouts and advising them to "stay in a safe location."

7:25 PM EST, February 13, 2012

Police training consultants under scrutiny for contracts, expenses

A nonprofit foundation paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by the Baltimore Police Department as part of the commissioner's signature training program reported that nearly 40 percent of the foundation's expenditures over two years covered entertainment, meals and travel, a review of tax records by The Baltimore Sun has found.

9:51 PM EST, March 9, 2012

Police commander uses community ties to weather storm

On a warm, breezy afternoon, as East Baltimoreans mourn the shooting death of the "little flower" of Darley Park, police Maj. Melvin T. Russell is right where he wants to be — smack in the middle of a crowd of children, teachers, parents and neighbors.

7:38 PM EST, February 16, 2012

Ex-Raven Jermaine Lewis arrested again in Balto. Co.

Former Ravens Pro Bowler Jermaine Lewis was arrested Thursday in Baltimore County for driving on a suspended license, an arrest that comes two months before he is due in court for a reckless driving charge from last year.

8:43 PM EST, February 14, 2012

Body shop owner testifies at police kickback trial

Repair shop owner Alex Moreno said he was approached in 2008 by a Baltimore police officer with an idea to help boost sales at his fledgling Rosedale business: In exchange for a cut, officers would funnel cars to the shop.

9:09 PM EST, February 20, 2012

In limbo, Huguely jury must avoid distractions

Elaine Pollack says she can sympathize with jurors in the George Huguely V murder trial — she and the 11 others who deliberated the fate of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon in 2009 also labored under the glare of intense media attention.

10:06 PM EST, March 6, 2012

For first time, O'Malley moves toward clemency for two lifers

Gov.Martin O'Malleyis taking steps to grant clemency to two Maryland inmates serving life sentences, including a Baltimore man convicted of murder at age 14 — the first time he has proceeded that far on such an action.

8:32 PM EST, February 1, 2012

Video shows city police officer striking man during arrest

No one was going to believe his account, he thought. Ricky Thomas — who'd done prison time for dealing drugs and resisting arrest — said he was sucker-punched in the face by a Baltimore police officer and stomped. Now he was locked up and facing charges of assaulting police.

7:10 PM EST, February 29, 2012

Freed in prior case, man charged in murder tells jury that police erred again

Dante Parrish has been in a similar situation before. Convicted in a 1999 murder, he convinced the Innocence Project and a judge that case hinged on bad evidence, and he was freed from prison.

5:14 PM EST, March 1, 2012

Man convicted of killing teen, leaving body in closet

A Baltimore jury took less than three hours to convict a 37-year-old man of first-degree murder and other charges for killing a high school student in a relative's house where the teen sought refuge after being shunned for being gay.

7:30 PM EST, January 20, 2012

Drug boss Blackwell gets 20 years in heroin conspiracy

Steven "J.R." Blackwell, the leader of an East Baltimore drug conspiracy linked to a yearlong street warwith rivals, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Friday as part of a guilty plea he struck with prosecutors last fall.

6:11 PM EST, February 13, 2012

Baltimore officers charged in kickback scheme fight back at trial

An attorney for one of two Baltimore police officers fighting accusations that they were part of a broad kickback scheme said Monday that his client referred cases to a towing company in Rosedale but did not personally profit.

6:56 PM EST, January 7, 2012

Baltimore firefighters install smoke alarms, free of charge

After giving his three-story Hampden rental home a quick inspection, firefighters informed Alex McAbee that he only had one smoke detector. And without batteries, it was functioning more as an ugly wall decoration than a safety device.

11:47 PM EST, February 13, 2012

Police investigate fatal shooting at Greenmount Ave dollar store

A man standing inside a Greenmount Avenue dollar store was fatally shot Monday night by a gunman outside the store, police said.

10:10 PM EST, February 28, 2012

Feds in Md. indict founder of major online gambling site

An audacious Internet gambling mogul long sought by authorities has been indicted in Baltimore, capping an investigation that spanned nearly a decade and several countries and comes amid a recent crackdown on the popular poker and gambling sites.

8:15 PM EST, January 6, 2012

New federal definition of rape formally approved

The federal definition of rape, used to determine how national crime data are collected, has been changed for the first time in more than 80 years, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday.

11:42 PM EST, January 31, 2012

Man steals officer's cruiser, is fatally shot by police after pursuit

A man pulled over on Interstate 95 early Tuesday morning was able to flee in a Baltimore County police cruiser before being fatally shot by officers just inside the city line, officials said.

8:17 PM EST, January 27, 2012

Four indicted in woman's murder, drug dealing on The Block

A federal indictment unsealed Friday accuses four people — including a mother and her son — of directing a drug-dealing operation in Baltimore's strip-club district through violence and intimidation, including the 2010 killing of a dancer they suspected of giving information to police.

4:45 PM EST, February 2, 2012

Six shot, two dead, as violence sweeps several neighborhoods

Six people were shot, two fatally, in a spate of violence in several neighborhoods in Baltimore on Wednesday. Most of the gunfire erupted in a four-hour span starting Wednesday evening and into the night.

11:03 AM EST, January 29, 2012

Police investigating two Sunday shootings

Baltimore police detectives are investigating two separate shootings, in North and Northeast Baltimore, that occurred Sunday morning, the second shortly before 8:30 a.m., according to a department spokesman.

8:16 PM EST, January 11, 2012

DOJ urges judge to side with plaintiff in Baltimore police taping case

The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division has urged a federal court to side with a Howard County man in a lawsuit over his cellphone being seized by Baltimore police at the Preakness Stakes after he filmed officers making an arrest.

7:07 PM EST, January 10, 2012

Lead detective in woman's killing defends reputation in court

A Baltimore homicide detective went to court Tuesday to try to overturn an internal punishment in a case that saw him handcuffed and stripped of his badge and gun by a fellow officer as he investigated a kidnapping.

5:55 PM EST, January 7, 2012

Baltimore Police investigating three shootings, one fatal

Baltimore City police were investigating three shootings that occurred Friday night and Saturday morning, including one that took the life of a 27-year-old East Baltimore man.

6:35 PM EST, January 17, 2012

Baltimore officials kept close eye on Occupy

Brian C. Rogers, chairman of the Baltimore-based money management giant T. Rowe Price, works in the corporate office high-rise towering over an Inner Harbor park. And for weeks, the company overlooked a group of protesters beating drums, pitching tents and demanding justice for the 99 percent of Americans who aren't among the country's highest earners.

7:14 PM EST, January 12, 2012

Man fatally shot in Southwest Baltimore

Police were investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Thursday afternoon in Southwest Baltimore, while a man was expected to survive a shooting that occurred Wednesday night at a Northwest Baltimore carryout.

7:30 PM EST, January 7, 2012

Man who faked seizures to escape bar tabs gets 18 months

He won't be able to fake a seizure to get out of this one.

10:01 PM EST, January 1, 2012

Baltimore has fewer than 200 killings for first time in decades

The annual number of killings in Baltimore has fallen below 200 for the first time in more than three decades, a symbolic threshold that seemed elusive for a crime-weary city just four years ago.

7:08 PM EST, January 9, 2012

Juvenile violence in Baltimore continues to decline

Violence against juveniles has declined significantly in Baltimore in recent years as juvenile arrests have dropped and student graduations increased — a trend that the city schools chief said stills lags behind perceptions of the city's youths.

5:58 PM EST, December 18, 2011

Family of victim in S.W. Baltimore police shooting speaks out

When it happens — and relatives say it's rare for Franklin Williams to have a schizophrenic episode — he first starts to drink an inordinate amount of water. He takes baths and smokes cigarettes, anything to calm himself and quiet the voices in his head.

10:07 PM EST, January 6, 2012

Woman, 84, who died in fire was stabbed first, police say

An 84-year-old woman discovered dead Thursday in a one-alarm blaze at her East Baltimore home had been stabbed multiple times, an autopsy found, turning a fire investigation into a murder case.

8:41 PM EST, December 28, 2011

Attorney: Investigators 'have nothing' in Phylicia Barnes case

As relatives marked the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of Phylicia Barnes, the attorney for a Baltimore man questioned in the case claims that police have no leads and have wasted time on a dead end.

10:03 PM EST, December 23, 2011

Air Jordan shoes cause frenzy at local, nationwide malls

Several people were arrested at malls across Maryland as police broke up crowds of hundreds lined up to buy Nike Air Jordan Concords, part of a nationwide frenzy over the new sneakers that prompted a number of disturbances.

12:34 AM EST, December 18, 2011

Police investigate fatal shooting in West Baltimore

City police are investigating two shootings that took place Friday night in West Baltimore, including a homicide in the Mount Holly neighborhood.

8:16 PM EST, December 29, 2011

Lengthy casework leads to charges in April slaying

Baltimore police have made an arrest in the killing of a 50-year-old man whose body was set on fire in April, and court documents appear to indicate an effort by the Police Department to be more deliberate in building cases.

6:16 PM EST, December 19, 2011

Man, 24, charged with robbery, shooting of cabdriver in Remington

A 24-year-old Baltimore man has been arrested and charged with robbing and shooting a cabdriver in Remington early Sunday, police said.

6:55 PM EST, December 15, 2011

Sex offender charged in Reservoir Hill rape

A convicted sex offender who was cleared by a jury of rape charges in September has been linked through DNA to two other rapes, including a November attack on a woman in her Reservoir Hill home, court records show.

7:43 PM EST, December 22, 2011

Southwest Baltimore violence may stem from shooting of 'legend'

A recent spate of violence in Southwest Baltimore may have stemmed from the shooting of a 35-year-old man the city's police commissioner referred to Thursday as an "engine for violent crime."

4:56 PM EST, December 19, 2011

City police identify two fatally shot over weekend

City police have identified two men fatally shot over the weekend.

8:04 PM EST, December 6, 2011

Men charged in murder-for-hire after attorney's alleged disclosure

At Tavon Davis' direction, federal prosecutors say, Isiah Callaway for two years helped orchestrate a scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from banks.

1:09 PM EST, December 13, 2011

Mayor calls Occupy Baltimore eviction 'respectful'

The eviction of Occupy Baltimore protesters from a park near the Inner Harbor was carried out "in a respectful way," Baltimore's mayor said this morning, adding that she was pleased there were no injuries or arrests.

5:08 PM EST, December 9, 2011

Morgan student fatally shot in Charles Village

A 22-year-old Morgan State University student was found shot to death inside his Charles Village apartment Thursday night, a killing that police said could be drug-related.

4:35 PM EST, December 17, 2011

Baltimore schools police take students holiday shopping

More than 70 Baltimore City schoolchildren went holiday shopping Saturday morning with school police officers during the annual "Shop with a Cop" event.

1:52 PM EST, December 20, 2011

Police investigating double shooting that killed 1

City police were investigating a double-shooting in West Baltimore Monday night that killed a 29-year-old man.

6:41 PM EST, November 23, 2011

Major Baltimore drug dealer pleads guilty to heroin charges, money laundering

For more than a year, authorities believe, Steven "J.R." Blackwell Jr. was at the center of a street war with a rival faction that saw as many as two dozen people shot across Baltimore.

7:29 PM EST, November 16, 2011

Crash, gunfire in S. Baltimore after ATF moves to stop home invasion

The vehicle accident and exchange of gunfire in South Baltimore on Monday came as agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives moved to arrest a group of men who they say were en route to commit a home invasion and robbery, documents show.

December 12, 2011

Man shot by city police after allegedly refusing to drop knife

A 38-year-old Southwest Baltimore man was in critical condition Sunday night after he was shot by an officer when he refused to drop a knife, city police said.

6:38 PM EST, December 15, 2011

Attorney sentenced to year and a day in prison

Baltimore attorney Stanley Needleman was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison as prosecutors made new accusations that he cashed checks from drug dealers at liquor stores and posted bail for a client.

6:37 PM EST, November 18, 2011

Youth volunteer accused of stealing officers' badges, uniforms

Walter Oliver joined the Police Explorers youth volunteer program presumably because he had an interest in becoming an officer one day.

7:20 PM EST, November 30, 2011

Baltimore County, city robberies end with crash

Three men were arrested in connection with a series of robberies and carjackings that occurred over a four-hour span Tuesday night across Baltimore County and the city, ending when the men crashed their vehicle near the Domino Sugars factory while fleeing police.

10:08 PM EST, December 15, 2011

FBI director approves new definition of rape

The definition of rape that dictates how local police departments report crimes to federal record keepers is expected to change — for the first time in more than 80 years — in early 2012.

8:47 PM EST, December 16, 2011

Suspect in Morrell Park killing freed twice on bail

Suspects charged with murder and those facing gun charges in Maryland can expect to be held without bond pending trial. But twice in the past six months, 18-year-old Brandon Kyle Mitchell has been arrested in shootings — one of them fatal — and was released after posting just $50,000 bail.

6:49 PM EST, November 29, 2011

Special prosecutor emerging as option on conflict cases

In the case involving an altercation last week between Baltimore Clerk of Circuit Court Frank M. Conaway Sr. and a blogger, State's Attorney Gregg Bernstein has said his office won't make the decision on whether to file criminal charges or handle any ensuing court proceedings.

8:27 PM EST, November 22, 2011

State police: Conaway's gun permit expired in March

State police said Baltimore Clerk of Circuit Court Frank M. Conaway Sr.'s permit to carry a concealed handgun expired in March, raising the possibility that he could face criminal charges after Monday's altercation with a blogger.

7:38 PM EDT, November 2, 2011

Family, police seek answers in carryout killing

If it's true that what goes around comes around, Crystal Jenkins Jones says she now knows that better than most.

7:10 PM EST, December 12, 2011

City set to OK settlements in police shooting, Reservist's loss of job

The city's Board of Estimates is poised this week to approve settlements to the family of a man fatally shot in the back by a Baltimore police officer and an Army Reserve captain who said he lost his job with the state's attorney's office after leaving for military training.

5:58 PM EST, November 7, 2011

Feds praise Baltimore County police in drug indictment

For the second time in a week, federal authorities are praising Baltimore County police for providing information that spawned a broader indictment against a violent criminal organization operating in Maryland and other states.

8:07 PM EST, November 13, 2011

BUILD activists call on business leaders to help city schools

As their bus rumbled through housing projects and dilapidated schools and toward Harbor East — one of the crown jewels of Baltimore's revitalized waterfront — Zion Baptist Church Pastor Marshall Prentice asked his parishioners how they felt after hearing about the millions of tax breaks given to developers there.

8:04 PM EST, November 13, 2011

Motorcyclist, police cruiser collide in Laurel

A 43-year-old Columbia man was hospitalized after his motorcycle collided with a Howard County police cruiser in North Laurel, county police said.

7:20 PM EST, December 1, 2011

Police report offers third account of Conaway-Meister altercation

A police report documenting last month's altercation between Baltimore Clerk of Courts Frank M. Conaway Sr. and a blogger says officers saw Conaway display a holstered handgun, but also lists him as the victim of an assault.

7:22 PM EDT, October 25, 2011

City prosecutors win gang conviction, again

City prosecutors have for the second time won the first conviction under the state's gang statute.

7:58 PM EDT, November 3, 2011

Commission: Lack of supervision, training led to police shooting

An independent commission reviewing January's fatal police shooting outside the Select Lounge found that supervisors failed to take control of a chaotic scene, with Officer William H. Torbit Jr. making a series of missteps that exacerbated the situation and contributed to his own death.

10:40 AM EST, November 27, 2011

Heralded young prosecutor joins city state's attorney's office

When Thiru Vignarajah left the Maryland U.S. attorney's office to lead a new unit of the city prosecutors, there was the matter of putting together a new team of lawyers to pursue major crimes, bolstering relationships with police and other law enforcement agencies, and identifying the city's most violent criminals.

7:56 PM EDT, October 18, 2011

FBI committee moves to update rape definition

An FBI subcommittee made recommendations Tuesday at a meeting in Baltimore to create a new federal definition of rape, moving the agency a step closer to updating the way it counts sex crimes for the first time in more than 80 years.

6:15 PM EST, November 15, 2011

Arrest in killing of man whose family's grieving was disrupted by fear

Marquis Jones' family can rest a bit easier.

6:27 PM EST, November 21, 2011

Police investigating Conaway-Meister fight

One of Baltimore's most bizarre political sideshows took an ugly twist Monday, with police acknowledging that they were investigating a morning altercation between Clerk of Circuit Court Frank M. Conaway Sr. and blogger Adam Meister.

8:39 PM EST, November 30, 2011

Man, linked to Va. teen's mysterious death, charged with killing woman

A Baltimore man has been arrested in the killing of a 26-year-old Northeast Baltimore woman, a development that parents of a runaway Virginia teen hope may yield new leads in their daughter's mysterious death.

5:38 PM EST, November 7, 2011

Man charged in after-hours club quadruple shooting

Police have charged a 19-year-old man in a quadruple shooting that occurred before dawn Sunday morning outside a West Baltimore after-hours club.

8:03 PM EDT, November 1, 2011

Man, 52, killed in robbery at troubled Greenmount Ave. carryout

A 52-year-old man died after being shot during a robbery at a carryout restaurant in Better Waverly on Monday night, renewing concerns in the community about the crime connected to the beleaguered business.

8:16 PM EST, November 15, 2011

Election robocalls trial postponed after judge recuses himself

The trial of a veteran political operative, charged with violating election laws by sending out robocalls on Election Day last year that suggested voting was over, was postponed Tuesday after the only judge available to hear the case recused himself.

4:33 PM EST, December 2, 2011

Police, ATF offer $5,000 reward in city firebombings

City police and the Baltimore field division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are offering up to a $5,000 reward for tips in a series of recent attacks in which makeshift firebombs have been thrown against homes causing minor damage but raising concerns.

12:59 PM EST, November 13, 2011

Two firefighters injured battling propane tank blaze

Two Baltimore firefighters were injured Sunday morning while battling a blaze that started when a propane tank exploded, officials said, bringing to six the number of city firefighters injured since Saturday afternoon.

7:29 PM EST, December 5, 2011

Baltimore officer accidentally shot in drug raid

A Baltimore police officer was shot in the arm by a Baltimore County officer Monday afternoon while in Odenton serving a warrant with a law enforcement task force, police said.

5:24 PM EDT, October 29, 2011

Safety concerns raised after back-to-back patient killings at Perkins

After two patients were killed in the span of a week by fellow patients at the state's maximum-security mental hospital, mental health advocates say safety must be improved — but one warned against a clampdown.

9:10 PM EDT, October 19, 2011

Revisions to federal rape definition would greatly expand reporting

A proposed revision to the federal definition of rape, the first in more than 80 years, would greatly expand the number of crimes reported to the FBI by local law enforcement agencies.

8:23 PM EST, November 28, 2011

In Md., revised crack law sets some convicts free

Dwuan Dent and Antwan Askia were on opposite sides of an East Baltimore drug turf war in the 1990s that killed at least four people, according to federal prosecutors who charged Dent with murder and conspiracy and Askia with various drug counts.

6:34 PM EST, November 28, 2011

DNA links man to rape of girl in vacant building, police say

A 48-year-old East Baltimore man has been charged with raping a teenage girl in a vacant building last month after police said DNA evidence linked him to the assault.

9:04 PM EDT, October 14, 2011

City police failed to conduct training reviews of officer shootings

The Baltimore Police Department has for years failed to conduct "after-action" reviews of police-involved shootings that are used for training officers who may find themselves in similar, potentially violent situations.

November 12, 2011

Police impersonators carry out string of robberies

As the three men rifled through his pockets and upended beds in his Southeast Baltimore home, Moises Pacheco says he spotted a small detail that made him begin to suspect the intruders were not the police officers they claimed to be.

10:53 AM EDT, October 24, 2011

City police investigate fatal shooting in Reservoir Hill

Baltimore police are investigating the homicide of a 38-year-old man found early Monday in Reservoir Hill.

5:29 PM EDT, October 15, 2011

With new leadership, Bealefeld wants progress in murder investigations

After conducting a nationwide search for a new leader for his vaunted but scuffling homicide unit, Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III instead looked inward to a trusted commander who hadn't even applied for the job.

6:42 PM EDT, October 31, 2011

Man, 21, arrested in 53-year-old's fatal stabbing

Baltimore police say they have made an arrest in the killing last week of a 53-year-old man, while officials also identified an 18-year-old man who was fatally shot in Southwest Baltimore.

6:21 PM EDT, October 17, 2011

City police investigate shooting death of man in car

City police were investigating the shooting death of a man found early Monday near the North Avenue District Court building.

9:34 PM EDT, October 17, 2011

For second time, high-rise trash chute yields a body

Last year, when a man was killed after going down a trash chute in downtown Baltimore's Park Charles apartment building, residents grudgingly accepted the police conclusion that the death was a bizarre accident.

5:54 PM EDT, October 11, 2011

Drive-by shooting unnerves Woodberry resident

Whoever fired into Dave Gilmore's Woodberry home early Sunday morning had the wrong address. But how can the non-profit manager be sure the shooters know that, he wonders? How does he know that they won't come back?

9:38 PM EDT, October 14, 2011

Baltimore Police announce command shuffle

The Baltimore Police Department announced a reshuffling of its ranks Friday night, including the selection of a new commander of its homicide unit and a new assignment of the supervisor who helped implement reforms in the sex offense unit.

8:05 PM EDT, October 5, 2011

Baltimore kicks off outreach campaign to sexual assault victims

City officials kicked off a public outreach campaign Wednesday to encourage victims of rape and sexual assault to seek help in the wake of revelations that Baltimore police discarded rape reports at the highest rate in the country.

8:24 PM EDT, November 2, 2011

U.S. indicts 22 in Md.-bred prison gang

Nearly two dozen alleged members of a prison gang that started in Maryland and spread across the country have been indicted on federal racketeering charges, including accusations of murder for hire, armed robbery and drug running, officials announced Wednesday.

5:51 PM EDT, October 17, 2011

Officials confirm garage shooting victim linked to prior stabbing

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the man shot last week during an apparent robbery in a downtown parking garage owned by the University of Maryland, Baltimore had been stabbed in March during a home invasion there.

11:07 AM EDT, October 22, 2011

Man charged with killing another patient at psychiatric hospital

For the second time in just over a year, a patient at the maximum-security Clifton T. Perkins state psychiatric hospital has been charged with killing another patient, state police said Friday night.

6:53 PM EDT, October 19, 2011

Two recent city deaths classified as homicides

A man who died of a seizure as a result of a 1999 shooting and a man found dead in a vacant home in August were added to the city's homicide count, while three men have been charged in previous city killings, according to police and court records.

5:49 PM EDT, October 17, 2011

Missing Lansdowne man found dead in Curtis Bay

Baltimore County police say they believe an 18-year-old man found stabbed to death in a wooded area of Curtis Bay was killed sometime last week in Lansdowne.

8:07 PM EDT, October 13, 2011

Thirty-five charged with Maryland crime spree

Federal authorities announced Thursday a racketeering indictment charging 35 alleged Bloods gang members with murder, kidnapping and other crimes from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore — a move they said had "dismantled" the gang.

9:24 PM EDT, October 4, 2011

For some, sex-crime investigation reforms appear slow

For the homeless, drug-addicted women Jacqueline Robarge works with, this summer in Baltimore was long and violent. Outreach workers with the nonprofit Power Inside heard at least eight accounts of sexual assault and rape, the most she could recall in her 10 years with the group.

9:52 PM EDT, September 29, 2011

FBI seeks to update definition of rape

The FBI is moving to change the federal definition of rape for the first time in 80 years, which authorities and women's advocacy groups hope will lead to improved tracking of the crime and an attitude shift among investigators.

7:27 PM EDT, October 11, 2011

Across city, shootings rattle neighborhoods

In this corner of East Baltimore, where vacant houses outnumber occupied residences, patients at a methadone clinic buzzed about the activity down the street where police investigated a killing. Women approached the crime scene tape blocking off the intersection of North Port and East Lafayette streets, anxious to find out if the victim was a relative.

10:06 PM EDT, October 10, 2011

Man fatally shot in Southeast Baltimore

A man was fatally shot Monday afternoon in Southeast Baltimore's McElderry Park neighborhood, police said.

9:34 PM EDT, September 30, 2011

City's police overtime pay is up 40%

The Baltimore Police Department has increased overtime spending over the past year amid a struggle to fill vacancies, according to data obtained by The Baltimore Sun.

9:07 PM EDT, September 28, 2011

Two dead, four injured in shootings

Two men were killed and four others were wounded during a spate of violence across Baltimore Tuesday and Wednesday, as police in Northwest Baltimore sought to quell recent drug-related attacks there.

6:45 PM EDT, October 19, 2011

Man charged in police impersonation robbery

Police have charged an Essex man with pretending to be a police officer and stealing cash and a cellphone from a group of men in Washington Hill last month, court records show.

10:06 PM EDT, October 6, 2011

Rare shootings hit Charles Village, Lauraville

A 22-year-old man was shot in the leg on St. Paul Street in Charles Village early Thursday, just 50 feet from where a Johns Hopkins University researcher was fatally stabbed in a robbery last year.

7:52 PM EDT, October 20, 2011

Man, 37, arrested in Alabama and charged in teen's death

A 37-year-old Lansdowne man was arrested Wednesday in Alabama and charged in the death of an 18-year-old in Baltimore County, county police said Thursday.

7:14 PM EDT, October 5, 2011

Police: Musician was on bed, refused to comply before shooting

The 52-year-old musician who was fatally shot by a Baltimore police officer Sunday night was sitting on his bed at the time and had refused to drop a weapon that turned out to be a pellet gun, according to the Police Department.

8:15 PM EDT, October 14, 2011

Sources: Garage shooting victim was hospital patient

After a hospital patient was shot and seriously wounded in an apparent robbery Thursday evening, University of Maryland officials sought to assure students and staff that its campus is safe and pledged to step up patrols.

6:31 PM EDT, October 22, 2011

Patient killing at state psychiatric hospital is second since 2010

For the second time in just over a year, officials at the state's maximum-security mental hospital will review procedures after a patient was charged with killing his roommate.

8:42 PM EDT, September 27, 2011

City officer arrested after eluding county police

An off-duty Baltimore police officer was arrested last week after leading Baltimore County police officers on a chase and failing a breath test, according to police charging documents.

8:55 PM EDT, October 26, 2011

A murder victim's vigil turns tense

The vigil began on an ominous note. The organizers had asked police to be there so they could mourn without looking over their shoulders, but the squad car pulled away, lights and sirens, to respond to another call.

10:20 PM EDT, September 23, 2011

Records: Flanagan had threatened suicide before

Former Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan had threatened to commit suicide several times before taking his life last month, police records show.

6:59 PM EDT, September 6, 2011

Man charged in fatal stabbing of Public Works employee

A 28-year-old man has been charged in the March stabbing death of a 24-year-old man who police say was followed after a dispute at a Woodlawn night club.

5:48 PM EDT, October 6, 2011

Man convicted in killing of Marine in Northeast Baltimore

A third man has been convicted in the fatal stabbing of an active duty Marine at a Northeast Baltimore party in January 2010.

8:40 PM EDT, October 4, 2011

Police impersonators strike in Greektown

Baltimore police are investigating an unarmed robbery in which the victim said his attackers were impersonating police officers — at least the fifth such incident in recent months.

6:14 PM EDT, October 3, 2011

Man, 32, killed in city's Upton neighborhood

A 32-year-old man was found fatally shot early Monday in the Central District's Upton neighborhood, police said.

6:08 PM EDT, October 3, 2011

Man dies in South Baltimore police shooting

A 52-year-old South Baltimore man, who was shot by police after pointing a pellet gun at officers, died from his injuries, officials said.

5:52 PM EDT, October 10, 2011

Man shot in Pimlico parking lot during private event

A 25-year-old man was shot in the head and chest early Sunday morning in the parking lot of Pimlico Race Course, which has recently started hosting late-night private events in hopes of generating additional revenue.

11:47 AM EDT, September 21, 2011

Shooting near playground shakes Waverly community

Marion Jean had just started bringing her young children back to the playground at the old Memorial Stadium site in Waverly. An intentionally set fire at the playground in 2008, as well as more recent reports of a stabbing, had caused her to take her children to other YMCA sites in the area.

10:52 AM EDT, September 8, 2011

Police say arrest has been made in death of 1-year-old boy

City police say a frantic call from parents reporting the abduction of their infant son led to the discovery of the boy's body in the family's Southwest Baltimore home.

5:53 PM EDT, August 22, 2011

D.C. man's life ends outside Baltimore bar

When Alfred "Freddy" Garner Jr. was growing up, h's father taught him to be the bigger man and walk away from confrontations.

7:24 PM EDT, August 31, 2011

City's curfew center rounds up wandering youths

It's after 1:30 a.m. on a recent Friday night, and Baltimore's juvenile curfew center is buzzing. One by one or together in groups, children who are out beyond the midnight weekend curfew are being brought in by police. In a side room where records are checked, the youngest strike up a conversation.

10:01 PM EDT, August 30, 2011

Baltimore attorney charged with tax evasion

A Baltimore criminal defense attorney has been charged in U.S. District Court with tax evasion and other financial crimes, according to records unsealed Tuesday, more than four months after his home and office were raided.

8:37 PM EDT, September 27, 2011

Baltimore police to develop faster DNA testing

The Baltimore Police Department is taking part in a program to develop and test new technology that could significantly cut DNA analysis time.

7:27 PM EDT, September 20, 2011

Police investigate burglary of former mayor Dixon's home

The last time an XBox video game system was taken from former Mayor Sheila Dixon's home, it was by state prosecutors armed with a search warrant as part of an embezzlement investigation.

7:44 PM EDT, September 6, 2011

Police identify man apparently shot while sleeping

Baltimore police have identified the man fatally shot Sunday near Johns Hopkins Hospital as 31-year-old Antonio Laws, who was apparently shot while sleeping in his home.

6:33 PM EDT, September 21, 2011

Shooting near playground shakes Waverly community

Marion Jean had just started bringing her young children back to the playground at the old Memorial Stadium site in Waverly. An intentionally set fire at the playground in 2008, as well as more recent reports of a stabbing, had caused her to take her children to other YMCA sites in the area.

6:54 PM EDT, September 8, 2011

Police in South Baltimore get $300,000 for new equipment

Officers in the Baltimore Police Department's Southern District will have new computers, bikes and other equipment thanks to $300,000 in gifts from three benefactors, who hope to spur donations from city businesses in other districts.

9:08 PM EDT, September 12, 2011

Officers appear, decline to testify before Select Lounge panel

The police officers involved in a fatal shooting outside a downtown club appeared Monday before a panel charged with reviewing the incident, but refused to answer questions.

8:16 PM EDT, September 1, 2011

Police say 'stalled' murder case now closed with arrest

Baltimore homicide detectives have made an arrest in one of the open murder cases cited in an internal Police Department memo that accused prosecutors of holding up cases.

6:16 PM EDT, September 19, 2011

Study: Crime cameras a cost-effective deterrent

Surveillance cameras are a cost-effective deterrent to crime, according to a four-year study of the technology in Baltimore and two other major cities.

7:54 PM EDT, September 22, 2011

Police: Man shoots self outside Union Memorial ER

A man who shot himself in the head outside the emergency room in North Baltimore's Union Memorial Hospital on Thursday left a note indicating he chose that locale because he wanted to donate his organs to medicine, according to law enforcement source.

7:59 PM EDT, August 31, 2011

ACLU sues Baltimore Police over right to videotape

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the Baltimore Police Department on behalf of a Howard County man who says his camera was confiscated at the Preakness last year after he recorded officers arresting a woman.

9:28 PM EDT, August 30, 2011

Baltimore attorney charged with tax evasion

A Baltimore criminal defense attorney has been charged in U.S. District Court with tax evasion and other financial crimes, according to records unsealed Tuesday, more than four months after his home and office were raided.

7:34 PM EDT, August 29, 2011

Frustrated with court sentence, drowning victim's family files lawsuit

Dissatisfied with the punishment expected to be handed down Tuesday by a city judge, the family of a 22-year-old man who drowned after being pushed into the Inner Harbor in 2008 said it has filed a $5 million wrongful-death lawsuit against the man convicted for his death.

7:06 PM EDT, August 21, 2011

Police, firefighters to square off in charity cage match

Normally, they're partners in public safety. But next month, Baltimore police and firefighters will be pummeling each other inside a cage – for charity.

6:12 PM EDT, September 26, 2011

Gun seizures show need for tougher penalties, mayor says

Speaking from behind a display of handguns and mug shots of violent offenders, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake reiterated on Monday a desire to pursue legislation to strengthen penalties for people caught with illegal guns.

5:34 PM EDT, September 15, 2011

ATF charges 55 people in South Baltimore drug case

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have charged 55 people as part of a yearlong investigation into a drug organization operating out of South Baltimore, with ties to Reservoir Hill and Anne Arundel County.

6:02 PM EDT, September 1, 2011

Veteran attorney disbarred, pleads guilty to tax evasion

Stanley Needleman's 30-year law career officially came to an abrupt end Thursday when the criminal defense attorney pleaded guilty to tax evasion and agreed to pay more than $1 million in penalties.

8:04 PM EDT, August 29, 2011

Death of Northeast Baltimore girl, 4, investigated as homicide

The death of a 4-year-old girl taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital last week with severe head trauma is being investigated as a homicide, city police said.

2:17 PM EDT, September 7, 2011

Body found in water near Harbor Hospital

A body was pulled from the Patapsco River near Harbor Hospital Wednesday afternoon, fire officials confirmed.

7:03 PM EDT, September 16, 2011

Student, 18, fatally stabbed at Bowie State; roommate charged

During what was supposed to be a festive homecoming week, the campus of Bowie State University was instead quiet and somber Friday after a student was arrested and charged with killing one of her roommates.

10:15 PM EDT, August 30, 2011

Police memo: Baltimore prosecutors are stalling cases

Baltimore city homicide investigators say their cases are being "stalled and hindered" by prosecutors not giving the go-ahead to arrest murder suspects, according to a memo sent to top commanders.

8:44 PM EDT, August 17, 2011

Md. crime rate down 6.3% in 2010, to record low

Maryland's crime rate decreased 6.3 percent last year, reaching a new low in the state's per-capita incidence of violent and property offenses and mirroring a national trend.

4:10 PM EDT, September 19, 2011

Police identify man found strangled in alley

Baltimore Police have identified a man found dead Friday in an alley in Brooklyn as a 42-year-old Glen Burnie man.

9:17 PM EDT, August 26, 2011

Ellicott City teenager arrested in suspected terror plot

He was a 15-year-old high school honors student in Ellicott City when federal prosecutors say he went online to solicit money for a woman who called herself "Jihad Jane" and "Fatima LaRose."

5:17 PM EDT, July 29, 2011

Body found in car trunk in E. Baltimore

Baltimore police were investigating the discovery on Friday of a body found in the trunk of a vehicle in East Baltimore. Detective Nicole Monroe, a police spokeswoman, said the body of an unidentified male was discovered about 10:50 a.m. at North Gay and East Preston streets.

5:38 PM EDT, August 5, 2011

Suspect sought in Canton, Fells Point robberies

Baltimore police are searching for a man accused of robbing four women at gunpoint in Canton who may also be responsible for a string of similar crimes there and in Fells Point.

3:29 PM EDT, September 7, 2011

Police investigate Northwest Baltimore double shooting

Amid pounding rain, city police were investigating an afternoon shooting in Northwest Baltimore.

6:58 PM EDT, August 4, 2011

Family, friends remember 91-year-old stabbing victim

Irene Logan's death leaves nearly 30 people without their family's matriarch. For three children, eight grandchildren and more than a dozen great-grandchildren, Logan was the family's bedrock.

7:13 PM EDT, September 8, 2011

Police: Father stabbed 1-year-old, hid body in basement

Invited over to help celebrate his son's first birthday, 25-year-old Hari P. Close III had been a no-show.

11:51 AM EDT, August 10, 2011

Body found in Inner Harbor near Fells Point

City police were investigating the discovery of a dead body found floating in the Inner Harbor near Fells Point Wednesday morning.

7:36 PM EDT, August 4, 2011

Two recent Baltimore murder victims identified

City police have identified a 24-year-old man who was fatally shot Monday night in East Baltimore.

8:38 PM EDT, August 24, 2011

Police investigate Charles Village stabbing

Baltimore police confirmed that they are investigating a stabbing of a Charles Village man by an intruder who broke into the victim's apartment Tuesday night.

6:11 PM EDT, August 5, 2011

Rolley: Rawlings-Blake lacks real crime plan

Mayoral challenger Otis Rolley visited the block where a 91-year-old woman was stabbed to death this week to charge that Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake lacks a "real plan" to reduce crime.

4:02 PM EDT, September 14, 2011

Southwest Baltimore shooting claims life of 16-year-old boy

Steps from a weathered bench proclaiming Baltimore the "Greatest City in America," a pool of blood marked the spot where a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot early Wednesday.

8:15 PM EDT, July 26, 2011

Three victims found in fire were shot, officials say

The sound of gunshots in a residential neighborhood in Northeast Baltimore prompted an anonymous 911 call to police early Tuesday. Three city officers responded to a rowhouse on Nicholas Avenue, repeatedly knocked on the door and windows, and found nothing amiss.

10:01 PM EDT, July 25, 2011

Amid questions, city police internal affairs commander reassigned

The Baltimore Police Department removed its commander in charge of internal investigations late Monday, a move police sources describe as fallout from last week's indictment of a city police officer on drug charges.

9:18 PM EDT, August 15, 2011

City police identified 2 fatally shot Sunday

City police have identified two men fatally shot in different parts of Baltimore on Sunday.

8:13 PM EDT, August 15, 2011

Baltimore City Council wants say on school board members

In its last meeting before the September primary election, the Baltimore City Council unanimously passed a resolution calling on state legislators to give the council input in the selection of school board members.

7:49 PM EDT, July 19, 2011

Baltimore police officer charged in heroin conspiracy

A Baltimore City police officer was arrested and charged Tuesday with leading a heroin distribution operation, including allegations that he arranged drug transactions while on duty and met conspirators in the parking lot of his district station, records show.

7:53 PM EDT, September 15, 2011

Man charged in twin brother's 2007 slaying in Columbia

When his identical twin brother went missing in 2007, Wael Ali sought to organize a search party in Howard County to hunt for clues. Later, after the discovery of Wasel Ali's body, Wael set up a memorial page on Facebook where he lamented that they'd never spend time together again.

6:29 PM EDT, August 18, 2011

Md., Del. to share information on violent offenders

Gov. Martin O'Malley and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell announced Thursday an effort to better share information about violent offenders, adding another jurisdiction to the state's regional partnerships.

9:55 PM EDT, August 13, 2011

The long road to the Baltimore Grand Prix

Steven Wehner had overcome dyslexia, a stint in jail on drug charges and the loss of his repair shop on Martha's Vineyard.

7:58 PM EDT, August 16, 2011

Grand Prix founder sues race's organizers for $750,000

The founder of the Baltimore Grand Prix has filed a $750,000 claim against the current organizers of the event, joining another early investor who claims he has yet to be paid.

6:08 PM EDT, August 1, 2011

Man, 42, charged in killing of woman

City police have charged a 42-year-old man in the killing of a woman in East Baltimore last month.

2:42 PM EDT, July 12, 2011

Woman found dead in Southeast Baltimore identified

Baltimore police have identified a woman found dead inside her Southeast Baltimore home Sunday, one of four killings detectives are investigating from the weekend.

6:14 PM EDT, August 16, 2011

Police reports will be taken over phone in city pilot program

A pilot program under way in Northeast Baltimore could pave the way for city residents to begin filing police reports over the phone.

6:14 PM EDT, August 1, 2011

Men shot in Northeast, Northwest Baltimore

City police were investigating two shootings Monday afternoon in Northeast and Northwest Baltimore.

7:07 PM EDT, August 10, 2011

Documents: Mall robberies, killing believed to be connected

Recently unsealed court documents show that authorities believe a series of jewelry store holdups in suburban and city malls are connected to the fatal shooting of a man in West Baltimore.

7:05 PM EDT, August 24, 2011

Bhutanese refugee, in city 2 months, killed in robbery

Two Bhutanese refugees were shot, one of them fatally, in an apparent robbery in Northeast Baltimore, one of two double shootings investigated by Baltimore police Tuesday night.

9:59 AM EDT, July 12, 2011

Pair tried to steal historical documents worth millions, police say

Barry H. Landau has rubbed elbows with presidents, helped plan inaugurations, and claims one of the largest collections of Oval Office memorabilia outside museums and presidential libraries. His Manhattan apartment includes a collection of china from Thomas Jefferson's inauguration and a picture of Landau kissing John F. Kennedy's dog Clipper.

8:25 PM EDT, August 4, 2011

No charges in fatal police shooting at city's Select Lounge

Baltimore State's Attorney Gregg Bernstein said Thursday that no one will face criminal charges in the fatal shooting by police officers of a plainclothes colleague, whom they mistook for a gunman, moving authorities a step closer to closing one of the most painful chapters in the department's history.

7:37 PM EDT, July 26, 2011

Three years later, fire death ruled a homicide

For three years, the death of 25-year-old Dwayne Hawkins in a fire in East Baltimore has been listed as an accident.

7:42 AM EDT, July 13, 2011

Probe expands into attempted theft of Maryland historical papers

At the Maryland Historical Society, they're calling it the Great Cupcake Caper.

2:36 PM EDT, August 25, 2011

Former Orioles pitcher Flanagan dead in apparent suicide

Former Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan, a Cy Young Award winner who became a television announcer and top executive with the club, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday afternoon, according to police.

6:03 PM EDT, July 6, 2011

Body found in locked truck at city impound lot

A body was found in the back of a locked box truck at one of the city's impound lots in Northeast Baltimore, police said.

8:39 PM EDT, July 1, 2011

Homicides are down in city, but 16 people were killed in June

At Shaffer's Lounge and Sports Bar, a small bar on the fringes of Pigtown with one pool table and a sign above the cash register that reads "Sarcasm: One of the free services I offer," the lone employee heard the gunshots and hit the deck.

8:24 PM EDT, June 29, 2011

Man fatally shot in W. Baltimore; death is 100th homicide this year

A 24-year-old man died after he was shot in the back in what may have been a robbery in West Baltimore late Tuesday night, police said.

9:37 PM EDT, July 20, 2011

Some question top leadership in recent city police scandals

Asked to reflect on his tenure in 2009, Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III told an anecdote of a retired police official who approached him at an event and said Bealefeld had persevered through more turmoil than his predecessors.

9:00 PM EDT, July 27, 2011

Man found fatally shot in parked car in N.E. Baltimore

City police were investigating two homicides, including the fatal shooting of a 42-year-old man found in a car early Wednesday in Northeast Baltimore's Belair Edison neighborhood.

7:55 PM EDT, June 28, 2011

Doctor's patients robbed, delivery driver shot in N.E. Baltimore

Armed robbers held up a doctor's office and a delivery driver was critically wounded in a shooting in a shopping center parking lot Tuesday — two brazen daytime attacks that continued a trend of rising crime in Northeast Baltimore.

August 26, 2011

Friends saw Flanagan's pain, still shocked by suicide

Scott McGregor worried about his old Orioles teammate, Mike Flanagan.

7:00 PM EDT, July 22, 2011

City officer to remain in federal custody in drug case

Baltimore police officer Daniel G. Redd, charged this week in a heroin conspiracy, will remain in federal custody pending trial after a detention hearing Friday.

5:54 PM EDT, July 6, 2011

Man, 29, dies from injuries in June shooting

City police say a 29-year-old man who was shot last month in West Baltimore has died from his injuries.

12:40 PM EDT, August 4, 2011

Elderly woman fatally stabbed in N.E. Baltimore home

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said the son of a 91-year-old woman found stabbed to death in her Northeast Baltimore home was a close friend of her family and called the crime "devastating."

10:31 PM EDT, August 10, 2011

Video of police shooting of plainclothes officer is released

The Baltimore Police Department on Wednesday released surveillance camera footage of the January police shooting outside a downtown club that killed two people, including a plainclothes officer.

7:00 PM EDT, June 22, 2011

Officer who fell from I-83 has surgery, still in critical condition

The Baltimore police officer who fell off an elevated section of the Jones Falls Expressway in an accident Tuesday remained hospitalized in critical condition after undergoing two surgeries, one to repair a fractured leg and pelvis.

8:16 PM EDT, August 4, 2011

ACLU to sue police over wrongful detention, deletion of arrest video

The American Civil Liberties Union said it has informed the Baltimore Police Department of its intention to sue on behalf of a man who it says was wrongfully detained and had videos deleted from his cellphone after he filmed officers arresting a friend at the 2010 Preakness.

8:42 PM EDT, July 22, 2011

Suspect in officer's shooting said to have talked of act

The 20-year-old man accused of shooting a Baltimore police officer with a rifle this week had long wanted to shoot someone and remarked that he felt nothing after wounding the officer, charging documents allege.

8:16 PM EDT, July 20, 2011

Gilmor Street victim dies from injuries

A man stabbed Tuesday afternoon in West Baltimore died as a result of his injuries, police said. The case remains open and police did not disclose motives.

4:38 PM EDT, July 7, 2011

Federal authorities seek email accounts in missing-teen investigation

Authorities searching for the killer of North Carolina teen Phylicia Barnes obtained search warrants for email and Facebook accounts belonging to her and at least three other people, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court.

8:25 PM EDT, July 8, 2011

A year later, progress in Baltimore sex offense investigations

A major category of crime is up substantially in Baltimore, and police and city officials are pleased.

6:53 PM EDT, July 21, 2011

Man charged with firing rifle, striking city police officer

Baltimore police say a 20-year-old man with a grudge against the department fired a rifle at a Southwestern District patrol officer Tuesday night. The officer was spared serious injury when the bullet grazed him and struck his service weapon.

7:21 PM EDT, July 5, 2011

Shooting, stabbing follow Inner Harbor fireworks display

A fatal stabbing and the baffling shooting of a 4-year-old boy stunned visitors to Baltimore's downtown Fourth of July festivities and drew condemnation from the city's mayor and police commissioner as they worked to remind people of the thousands who enjoyed the celebration without incident.

4:46 PM EDT, August 1, 2011

City police investigating fatal shootings of two boys, 15

Sitting on the back porch of his Southwest Baltimore home Sunday night, Richard Tarbert heard the loud gunshots — 10 of them, he counted. His instincts told him to run toward them.

6:12 PM EDT, July 31, 2011

Mayoral candidates say little about crime during campaign

Ella Bailey and her two grandsons hurried down a strip mall sidewalk on a recent sultry summer morning, sipping bottles of pineapple soda.

July 3, 2011

With fewer arrests in Baltimore, fewer cases that don't stick

At the height of the Baltimore Police Department's experiment with zero-tolerance policing in 2005, the number of people arrested reached six figures— a statistic that sparked protests and came to symbolize what critics called a misguided policy of mass arrests.

11:29 AM EDT, June 22, 2011

One man dead after double shooting in Northwest Baltimore

One man died after a double shooting in Northwest Baltimore late Monday night and police were investigating two additional shootings, police said

7:45 PM EDT, September 21, 2010

Police, city institutions meet to discuss emergency plans

In the wake of a shooting and standoff at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III met Tuesday with security officials from the city's major institutions to discuss integrating their emergency response plans.

11:09 PM EDT, July 13, 2011

FBI searches N.Y. home of jailed memorabilia collector

Federal authorities searched the Manhattan apartment Wednesday of a collector and author charged with stealing documents from the Maryland Historical Society, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

8:54 PM EDT, July 12, 2011

Probe expands into attempted theft of Maryland historical papers

At the Maryland Historical Society, they're calling it the Great Cupcake Caper.

6:23 PM EDT, June 24, 2011

Baltimore County man, 37, indicted in hit-and-run that injured Hopkins students

Baltimore State's Attorney Gregg Bernstein announced Friday that a 37-year-old Baltimore County man has been taken into custody after being indicted in a hit-and-run accident that injured two Johns Hopkins University students in early May.

12:02 AM EDT, June 17, 2011

Six shot, one killed, after gunman shoots at people on porch

Six people were shot, one of them fatally, after a gunman opened fire Thursday afternoon on a group of people sitting on a porch in Southwest Baltimore.

10:08 PM EDT, June 15, 2011

Baltimore police announce leadership shakeup

The Baltimore Police Department announced Wednesday an expected shakeup in its top ranks, including a new deputy commissioner and new leadership for the patrol and criminal investigations divisions.

7:10 PM EDT, June 23, 2011

Man, 23, killed in N.E. Baltimore; teen, man shot in separate incidents

Baltimore police are investigating the fatal shooting Wednesday night of a 23-year-old man in Northeast Baltimore in an apparent dispute over money, officials said.

5:50 PM EDT, June 28, 2011

Police ID murder suspect; identifying victim not as easy

City police have identified and arrested a murder suspect — but figuring out the identity of his alleged victim would prove to be a bigger challenge.

7:05 PM EDT, June 29, 2011

Delivery driver shot Tuesday afternoon recently started his own business

Chong Wan Yim, who emigrated from South Korea, held a variety of jobs in Baltimore — from running his own restaurant to starting his own delivery business just months ago.

9:51 PM EST, December 1, 2010

Half of discarded city rape claims were misclassified

More than half of nearly 100 rape reports that Baltimore Police decided were false or baseless have been reclassified as rapes or other sex crimes, according to an audit presented Wednesday to a City Council panel.

3:55 PM EDT, July 29, 2011

Police identify three found shot in burning home

City police released the identities of three people found shot inside a burning home in Northeast Baltimore this week.

5:54 PM EDT, June 16, 2011

Boyfriend charged in fatal shooting of Linthicum woman

Baltimore police have made an arrest in the fatal shooting of a 40-year-old Linthicum woman whose body was found in Leakin Park last month, charging her boyfriend with first-degree murder.

6:30 PM EDT, June 30, 2011

16-year-old fatally shot in stomach Wednesday night in S.W. Baltimore

Police say the victim of a fatal shooting in Southwest Baltimore on Wednesday night was a 16-year-old boy.

6:09 PM EDT, June 27, 2011

Man shot by police impersonators; woman fatally stabbed

A 32-year-old man was bound and shot Monday morning after three assailants kicked in the door to his Northeast Baltimore home, identifying themselves as police officers, officials said.

9:31 PM EDT, July 19, 2010

Focus on shootings contributed to neglect of city rape claims, Bealefeld says

Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III said a focus on homicides and nonfatal shooting investigations may have contributed to neglect of growing problems with the way the department investigated sex offenses.

10:12 PM EDT, September 7, 2010

U.S. Senate committee to hold hearing on rape investigations

Concerned that police departments nationwide fail to fully investigate rapes, a congressional committee will examine the issue next week at a hearing spurred partly by a Baltimore Sun examination of the systemic underreporting of sex crimes.

11:15 PM EDT, September 13, 2010

Reported rapes in Baltimore up 20 percent since policy shift

Rapes investigated by Baltimore police are up nearly 20 percent this year, a sharp increase since new procedures were sparked by a Baltimore Sun investigation showing the city leading the nation in rape reports dismissed by police.

11:40 AM EDT, July 7, 2011

Body found in box truck at city impound lot is male

The decomposed body of a male found in the back of a locked truck at a city impound lot has been taken by the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy, police said Thursday morning.

11:02 PM EST, February 23, 2011

More than 30 Baltimore police officers charged, suspended in towing scheme

Seventeen Baltimore police officers were charged Wednesday — and more than a dozen others suspended — in an extortion scheme in which officers are accused of receiving thousands of dollars in kickbacks for steering accident victims to a towing company that was not authorized to do business with the city.

5:43 PM EDT, June 15, 2011

Baltimore police identify victims in recent fatal shootings

Baltimore police were investigating the fatal shootings of two men Tuesday afternoon and a third shooting just before midnight that critically injured another man.

11:55 PM EDT, June 14, 2011

At least one killed in two afternoon shootings in Baltimore

City police were investigating two afternoon shootings along Greenmount Avenue, which left at least one man dead.

10:30 PM EST, February 24, 2011

Arrest of officers causes reshuffling, concerns

To compensate for the arrest or suspension of more than two dozen officers in an alleged towing company scam, Baltimore Police will pull uniformed officers away from an initiative that contributed to a profound reduction in violent crime in the Southeastern District.

3:53 PM EDT, June 14, 2011

Escaped Western Md. inmate found in Baltimore

A state prison inmate who walked off a work detail in Hagerstown Monday was arrested without incident in Baltimore, state police said.

6:42 PM EDT, June 21, 2011

Baltimore police officer thrown off I-83, critically injured

Baltimore Police Officer Teresa Rigby was handling the most routine call on one of the city's most treacherous roads.

12:05 PM EDT, June 13, 2010

Dozens gather at vigil for Marine fatally shot in Mount Vernon

About 100 people gathered Saturday on the green in front of City Hall to remember Tyrone Brown, the 32-year-old former Marine whose fatal shooting in Mount Vernon ultimately led to a first-degree murder charge against a Baltimore police officer.

10:56 PM EDT, August 4, 2010

Prosecutor, council leader want independent audit of rape case

Baltimore's top prosecutor and City Council president called Wednesday for an outside agency to investigate rape complaints summarily dismissed by police detectives, saying that independent eyes are needed to ensure citizens' faith in the results.

9:51 PM EDT, June 28, 2011

Six months later, Phylicia Barnes' family rallies for answers

In the hours, then days, after her teenage sister went missing during a Christmas visit, Deena Barnes remembers the gripping panic that took over — staying up for two days straight, on the edge of the couch, waiting to catch a glimpse of 16-year-old Phylicia returning to the Northwest Baltimore apartment from which she vanished without a trace.

7:21 PM EDT, March 14, 2011

Coordinator will oversee Baltimore sex assault investigation reforms

Continuing reforms to Baltimore's response to sexual assaults will be steered by a full-time coordinator who for the past six years has overseen residential programs at Howard County's domestic violence center.

10:27 AM EDT, June 27, 2010

City rape statistics, investigations draw concern

The 32-year-old woman was walking through a midtown alley last January when a man pressed a gun to her shoulder and told her, "Don't scream."

10:05 PM EST, December 8, 2010

Arrest made in plot to blow up Baltimore-area military recruiting center

A 21-year-old Baltimore County man, whose Facebook postings about jihad gave way to discussions with an FBI informant about how to kill American soldiers, was arrested Wednesday after authorities say he tried to blow up a Catonsville military recruiting center using a car bomb supplied by undercover agents.

9:34 PM EDT, June 8, 2010

Officer in nightclub shooting was driving drunk before '05 shooting

The Baltimore police officer under investigation for killing a fellow bar patron Saturday was involved in an off-duty shooting in 2005 in which investigators determined he was driving with a 0.12 percent blood-alcohol level before firing his weapon, according to documents obtained by The Baltimore Sun.

12:32 AM EDT, August 4, 2010

Lack of police reports stalls review of city rape allegations

Detectives have begun reviewing rape reports summarily dismissed by Baltimore police over the past 18 months, though efforts to discern why incident reports were not taken in hundreds of 911 calls to police have sputtered.

8:14 PM EDT, June 14, 2010

Officer held in shooting 'did what he had to do,' attorney says

The Baltimore police officer charged with first-degree murder in the off-duty shooting of an unarmed man outside a Mount Vernon club began hitting back at the accusations, with his attorney questioning the behavior of the victim and saying the officer "did what he had to do."

February 9, 2010

Snow's effect on crime can be hard to predict

While many Marylanders spent the snowy weekend wondering how they would dig out or if they'd have school or work come Monday, Julie Drake, a Baltimore prosecutor who works on family violence cases, was braced for the worst.

10:28 AM EDT, June 14, 2010

Hunted officer turns self in

The Baltimore police officer facing a first-degree murder charge in the fatal shooting of an unarmed former Marine was ordered held without bail Monday morning, more than a day after his uncertain whereabouts triggered an intense search that ended when he surrendered with his attorney.

9:41 PM EDT, June 15, 2011

Baltimore police announce leadership shakeup

The Baltimore Police Department announced Wednesday an expected shakeup in its top ranks, including a new deputy commissioner and new leadership for the patrol and criminal investigations divisions.

June 5, 2011

Boy's fatal stabbing sparks revenge killing

The body of 13-year-old Tywonde' Jones lay under a white sheet behind a decrepit vacant home in Northwest Baltimore.

7:27 PM EDT, July 12, 2010

City Council president calls for review of rape investigations

City Council President Bernard "Jack" Young introduced a resolution Monday night calling for law enforcement officials to explain to the council the "factors behind Baltimore's troublingly high percentage of reported rape cases" that are categorized as false or baseless.

August 25, 2009

Police accused of profiling in Fein incident

The agent for a Baltimore Ravens rookie linebacker said his client was targeted by police at the Inner Harbor because he is black, a claim that has sparked debate over racial profiling as police step up enforcement there in the wake of a recent shooting.

9:48 PM EDT, June 10, 2010

Man shot by officer had hands in air, sources say

The unarmed man fatally shot by an off-duty Baltimore police officer outside a Mount Vernon bar early Saturday had his hands in the air when the officer fired 13 rounds, striking him nine times in the chest and groin, according to department sources.

7:12 PM EDT, July 7, 2010

Commander tapped to oversee sex offense unit opts to retire

Days after the Baltimore Police Department announced that he would oversee reforms in the beleaguered sex offense unit, a popular district commander has opted to retire.

9:24 PM EDT, September 14, 2010

Testimony before Senate panel calls for more oversight of crime stats, broader definition of rape

— In Cleveland, women's claims that a sex offender had assaulted them were ignored, until police found the bodies of 11 women at the man's home. In Milwaukee, a woman tried to report being raped but was told at three different police stations to go someplace else; her attacker went on to commit more rapes. And in New York, police apologized for downgrading a felony sexual assault in an upper Manhattan park.

4:07 PM EDT, April 23, 2011

McDonald's employee fired after taping video of fight

A Baltimore County McDonald's owner announced on Saturday afternoon that an employee who taped the violent beating of a customer — a video that went viral Friday — had been fired.

8:41 PM EDT, September 22, 2010

New commander to oversee city police sex offense unit

Baltimore police have tapped a former homicide detective and commander of the Western District to oversee reforms in the beleaguered sex offense unit.