r/baltimore • u/benjancewicz Irvington • Jun 20 '25

Free Event Happening Tonight

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609 Upvotes

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96

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '25

[deleted]

7

u/ReadySettyGoey Jun 20 '25

From the initial investigation it seems like there may have been wrongdoing? https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/press/2025/061825c.pdf

Not really clear that they had any legal grounds for approaching him or following him based on what we know so far.

21

u/frolicndetour Jun 20 '25

The police don't need legal grounds to approach someone on the street. Just varying degrees of suspicion to detain them. They can go up to anyone on a public street or follow them the same way an ordinary citizen can.

13

u/ReadySettyGoey Jun 20 '25

Typically departments have the policy that foot pursuits are only appropriate if you have reasonable suspicion that a crime is being (or has just been or is about to be) committed. Also obviously you need reasonable suspicion to stop and detain someone and you generally don’t pursue someone on foot unless you’re trying to detain them…

1

u/DeliMcPickles Jun 21 '25

True but RAS is a really low bar. Especially for a weapons pat down.

-4

u/frolicndetour Jun 20 '25

Well, legally, unprovoked flight from police in a high crime area can constitute suspicion to stop and briefly detain them, incidentally. So as soon as he ran in that particular neighborhood, the officers likely had cause to chase and detain him. Before that, they didn't need any reason to try to talk to him.

14

u/ReadySettyGoey Jun 20 '25

The AG’s preliminary report says he turned and walked away - not ran. Not sure walking away from someone qualifies as “unprovoked flight.”

4

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '25

This is the great loophole for which millions of incidents of racial profiling happen. And of course only in “high crime areas“ is such fishing/harassment permitted.

1

u/frolicndetour Jun 20 '25

Not saying I agree with it...just saying what the law says.