Woman shot in the face

A woman was found shot in a car near the intersection of Parkwood and Edgemont avenues this afternoon. Her injuries are serious but she is apparently still alive.

Says my Facebook friend (the BPD): "SHOOTING: Police investigating a shoting in the 2600 block of Maisel St. PIO not responding"
(What's PIO?)

East Side Badness

A man was stabbed by three people in the 2400 block of East Baltimore St. on the north side of Patterson Park.

Shooting victim on Rutland and Oliver subject of BPD's first Twittered incident.

Police have officially ended their investigation into Annie McCann's death

"The House Judiciary Committee voted 14-7 Friday to support a bill that restricts the use of the death penalty to murder cases with biological or conclusive videotaped evidence."

Fabulosity! The City That Breeds has mapped Baltimore neighborhoods on Google!

"There's no overall plan"

Page Croyder has lots to say to the Investigative Voice.

And LOLZ!! "Jenna Bush Secret Service limo towed for unpaid parking tickets"
... er, make that a van

man shot in East Baltimore

Northwestern High catfight broken up with mace

Charges dropped against the alleged killer of Jasmine Harris, apparently no one photographed footprints in the snow.

Eric "Nation of Cowards" Holder visits Baltimore

Body afloat near dragon boats, the 2nd Harbor corpse in 10 days

Dog-shooting leads to the state Senate approving a bill to require law enforcement agencies to issue monthly reports to the attorney general on SWAT team deployments.

Ew. McCormick sues equipment manufacturer over paint chips in cinnamon

This press release from the SAO should be in the reading-comprehension section from the SAT. Try to follow this plot:

On February 20, 2009 Linwood Buckson, 39, of the 3200 block of the Alameda was convicted of car theft and second degree [sic] assault following a Baltimore City jury trial prayer from district court. (Case number 809050026) He was sentenced to three years in prison by Judge Alfred Nance. Today, in a violation of probation hearing before Judge Charles G. Bernstein, Buckson was found guilty of violating his probation for this new conviction and sentenced to the balance of the
9-year suspended sentence he received on January 16, 2007.

Buckson faces 9 years in prison after rigorous prosecution and law enforcement coordination between local, state and federal agencies that serve on the Baltimore Violent Repeat Offender Task Force.

The facts are as follows:

On January 14, 2009 at 9:20 am, Officer Garrett was dispatched to the 500 block of North Ave for a reported stolen automobile taken December 27, 2008. The officer observed the Black Suzuki at a red light being driven by Linwood Buckson. The officer with the assistance of back up attempted to initiate a traffic stop of the vehicle by activating lights and sirens but Buckson refused to stop the vehicle. Mr. Buckson then rammed the driver side of a marked patrol vehicle occupied by Officer Moody in an attempt to flee. Even after ramming the police vehicle, Buckson began running on foot until he was ultimately apprehended in the rear of the 3300 block of The Alameda. Officer Moody did not sustain any serious injuries. The victim’s car suffered severe damage.

At the time of arrest Mr. Buckson was on probation for theft over $500 involving a vehicle. He was placed on probation January 16, 2007 after receiving a 10-year sentence with 9-years [sic], 6 months suspended.

The facts of that case are as follows:

On October 31, 2006 at 12:30 AM, in the 2500 block of West North Avenue, a patrol officer was performing random stolen checks on vehicles. The tag of the car Buckson was observed driving was reported stolen on October 30, 2006. Buckson gave the police officer a license belonging to someone else. Buckson’s driver license had been revoked and suspended.

Mr. Buckson’s arrest record spans 21 years with 29 arrests. His convictions include robbery deadly weapon, possession with intent to distribute, three convictions for CDS possession, theft over $500, unauthorized use, trespass, and two convictions for violation of probation.

During his violation of probation hearing today, the Honorable Judge Bernstein sentenced Linwood Buckson to nine years in jail consecutive to the sentence he is currently serving.

?!

What the?! Teenage girls support Chris Beat-her-down Brown. Huh? Wha? And would HB 845 make any difference?

Noel lawsuit underway

Hermann: the wrongful-death suit of Cheryl Noel's family against the BCPD is underway in District Court. Noel has become a national symbol of the civilian casualties of the drug war and the perils of "no-knock" warrants. Word has it that the officer who shot Noel, Carlos Artson, received a Silver Star for shooting the Bible-toting mom.
Blog The Agitator has salvaged Joe Giordano's pieces from the Dundalk Eagle

How tough is the economy? Even the drug dealers are hurting in what FHBIII calls a "cocaine drought."

A triple drive-by shooting on Marble Hall Road

Police: cuckold to blame for the stabbing death of William Smith Tuesday

43, 44, 45

Two men killed at the Yau Brothers Chinese Food Carryout on 29th and Greenmount,
a man stabbed to death in the 6500 block of Cleveland Ave.

Eastern District police commander Dan Lioi has been suspended pending an investigation into text messages he exchanged with Cleaven Williams, Jr., accused of killing his wife outside a North Avenue courthouse last year.

City council: no parking fine amnesty

... going away this week. Check out the many fine blogs & sites at right, and please don't rob my house. -- MJB

Quote of the month

"Facebook, we're gonna get MySpace, LinkedIn -- all of the social networking sites... to really get our message out there."
-- Baltimore City Police Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi

42

A man shot in the 1900 block of Pulaski Street at around 10:20 p.m has died.

Police are looking for Rochelle Denise Battle, 16.

Don't miss Buz's latest notes on crime & security.
Also worthwhile commentary on the media situation from Clay Shirky

New Blog Alert

The Baltimore Scofflaws, fighting parking ticket fine insanity!
Writes the founder,

Last week, we the current and former citizens of Baltimore were informed the city will be extorting us to fill its dwindling coffers. Their weapon of choice comes in the form of excessive late fees associated with a variety of parking tickets, in some cases, many years old. According to NBC, 80,000 of us have been contacted concerning 183,000 citations totaling $132 million dollars. Some of us have now been individually saddled with THOUSANDS of dollars in fines to ease City Hall's debt ... we are furious the city views our bank accounts as their personal ATMs, for which THEY write the rules for withdrawal.

Fatal Police Shooting #5

"A Baltimore City man was shot and killed by police Saturday morning after he barricaded a 4-year-old inside his home with a machete, police say."
and guess what? the BPD identified the officer involved in the shooting as Garfield O'Toole.

Ew du jour: a Goucher prof was fired after admitting to having <600 child porn pix on his PC.

Delegates: Help us, Rod!

"Calling an uptick in police shootings troubling, two state delegates and the head of the local NAACP called on the federal government today to investigate a recent fatal shooting by a Baltimore police officer who has shot three people since June 2007."

41

14-year-old shot in the SW!

The stabbing death of 17-year-old Shawn Green (#14) has been ruled self-defense, he's being removed from official murder rolls.

Hermann: The Baltimore Police Department wants to be your Facebook friend

And the Sunpapers invite you (yes, you!) to sit in on the daily front-page meeting!

Parking Fine Insanity!

Baltimore's ballooning parking fines may be the highest in the country, and now the city is threatening to sue scofflaws for an average sum of $1,625 per violation. (Even, presumably, violators whose license plates were stolen by MVA employees!)
City spokesman: "we have a budget deficit."

Baltimore encourages surrender

"To ease warrant backlog, Baltimore encourages surrender" (by fugitives).

Use in a sentence: "particular heterosexual contribution"

Asking for Trouble

Police are ISO a man wanted for shooting two people.
And WBAL asked someone to come and steal two laptops. Da!

Hermann has lots to say about naming police who shoot citizens.

At a City Council hearing [Tuesday March 10] ... members were angry at the department's explanations. They should have also been angry at themselves for the childish way they acted at a previous hearing when they blew their chance to ask Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III tough questions about this policy. Instead, they bought the department's line to the point where they fawned over the top cop and abdicated their roles as public watchdogs.

The police now say they will review the policy. And the feud between Jack Young and FHBIII heats up! You know you're in trouble when dad's "disappointed"

Do you really want to relive the horror of the Palczynski hostage situation, nine years ago this month? If so, check out WBAL's special, "A Legacy of Pain"

Big damage$ in the Jacksonville leaky Exxon case.

Gansler will be testifying in A-town in favor of HB 1055, aka the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act.

Sixth 'Bounty Hunter' Arrested

A sixth suspect arrested in the "Bounty Hunter" killing, in which Petro Taylor was set on fire while he was still alive. Two guys, Terrell Greg and Anthony O. Williams, are already in custody, as are three teenage girls, (left to right) Sierra Pyles, 19; Tenisha Lawson, 18; and Grechauna Rogers, 16.
More from Justin Fenton

So today and tomorrow the legislature is holding hearings on the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act. Oddly, there doesn't seem to be a word on this in the Sunpapers.

The Heroes Who Shall Remain Nameless

Irony alert: police officers "receive highest honor for actions under fire," but 1/4 of the recipients would not be name-able under the department's new policy.
(And doesn't this WMAR story read like it was translated from a Chinese newspaper?)

"Two men were shot Tuesday night while standing at an intersection in the Ellwood Park-Monument neighborhood in East Baltimore."

This week's four murders in the Ink.
The words "African-American" take up a lot of space.

Man who lied about the murder of his son gets 5 years

Outrage of the day: of course energy bills are going up, BGE has a lot of political contributions to make!

Trial Date Set for Mayor

Sept. 8. Lipscomb and Holton got dates too.

Pant Fires in the BPD

Accusations of police lying about evidence, parts I and II.

42

Shawn Cannady, shot by an unnamed officer on Friday, has died of his injuries, the fourth fatal police-involved shooting this year.
Meanwhile,
Heavy hitters took to the Marc Steiner show this evening to discuss the new Baltimore Police non-disclosure policy: Anthony Guglielmi, Director of Public Affairs for the Baltimore Police Department; Robert Cherry, President of the Baltimore Fraternal Order of Police and a former homicide detective; David Rocah, staff attorney for the Maryland ACLU; and David Simon (read the essay).
If you're short on time, skip to the last half.
Are the police going to live up to the promise to volunteer all info journalists deem pertinent other than a name? And if they don't, then what? It's not really a negotiation, is it?
More thoughts on this issue from Buz

Non-intentional non-justified homicide #42 was Roger Dennis, shot at age 13 in 1997 in the 300 block of W. North Avenue, who died last August from his injuries.

Because of the definitions of criminal homicide as per the FBI, Dennis is on 2009's homicide tally, Cannady is not.

Feds Subpoena Flex Squad Records

"A federal grand jury has subpoenaed run sheets, log books, and personnel files of at least five members of the Baltimore Police Department's disbanded Southwest 'Flex Squad' ..."

Murder of 17-year-old Herbert Carsten Jr. (39) may have been gang-related

Your tax $ at work: "Suit reveals millions in city pension giveaways"

County
"Baltimore County Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a vehicle and two men wanted for the assault on a Baltimore County police officer that occurred on March 1 at approximately 2:16 a.m. in Precinct 9/White Marsh."

Have you seen this short, pudgy (alleged) perv with circumflex brows?

41

A man shot to death in the 3300 block of E. Baltimore St. last night

A man arrested for setting his 85-year-old grandmother on fire

A man shot at a thrift store on W. North Avenue

A man shot in the face at Park Heights & Reisterstown Rds.

Jury selection has begun for trial of the man accused of ordering the murder of Carl Lackl from jail

"Maryland police databases have rich harvest of names"

Stolen cars and robberies in the Blotter

Maryland Title Co. of Baltimore loses license over allegations of stealing <$700k

Orthodox law firm takes Shabbat seriously

Homicide victim #39 was Id'd as Herbert Carsten Jr., age 17, a life apparently not worth more comment than the insomnia its end inflicted.

40-- oh shiz!!

A fight on the dance floor led to murder in the street after closing at Coconuts, and the gunwoman is at large!

39

A quadruple shooting has one fatality so far in the Southeast

Another police-involved shooting, and the third in four years for the unnamed 28-year-old officer. What's his/her deal? A training issue? An itchy trigger finger? Bad luck?
And why would the police department under FBIII divulge this officer's brow-raising track record?

A personal e-mail plea from Delegate Craig Rice set the tone for the preservation of MD's death penalty

What the?! The vice president of Baltimore's NAACP chapter arrested for heroin, bupe & mj possession

Jury Convicts Man for Murder of Byron Dickey

The SA's office reports that a Baltimore City jury today convicted Donnell Johnson, 35, of the 700 block of E. 21st St. of first-degree murder and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. The jury deliberated approximately three hours after hearing three days of testimony before rendering its verdict. Johnson faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole. Judge John C. Themelis scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2009. Details:

On August 12, 2007 at or around the 2100 block of Barclay Street Johnson became involved in a fight with the victim, Byron Dickey. During the fight Johnson brandished a .32 caliber handgun at which time Dickey began to run. Johnson chased Dickey, firing the handgun repeatedly at him as they ran. Dickey was struck three times and eventually collapsed due to his injuries. Police arrived on scene and secured the area and medics transported Johnson to John Hopkins Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Lead detective Donald Bradshaw pulled footage from police pole cameras on both Barclay and Greenmount Streets and video footage did capture a portion of the incident where an individual generally matching the description of the defendant was running down Barclay Street with their right hand extended in a manner consistent with possessing a handgun. Further investigation revealed witnesses who were able to positively identify Johnson as the individual who shot and killed Dickey.

A most unusual trial for MD: an anonymous jury and the feds seeking the death penalty in the case of Patrick Byers Jr., accused of ordering the murder of Carl Lackl from jail.

Only in Baltimore: the twisted tale of attorney Kim Y. Johnson's apparent conflicts of interest between the police department and her own clients.

Should police still be investigating-- and should Hermann still be writing-- about the death of Annie McCann?

3rd time's a charm

Gunman charged in third murder

Your daily badness

Ink: two murders last week, both stabbings
Meanwhile, two alleged stabbers apprehended.
Alleged murderer Lewis Brock, alias Keshawn Brown, Luis Brown and Lamar Smith, has been arrested about 20-something times for guns and drugs, and in 2002 for attempted first-degree murder with a handgun, a case that was noll pros'd.
The other accused deadly shanker, Eddy M. Castillo-Diaz, is an illegal immigrant from Honduras.

330 pounds? That's a lot of coca!

So let me get this straight, if you have less than an ounce of marijuana and a case of insomnia, your biggest worry is being fined $100?

On the left coast, gay rights, Chris Brown go to court.

how about them earmarks?
A million buck$ for the Cal Ripken foundation of mentors as 'crime prevention' -- is Cal Sr. running the PAL centers now?
vs.
1/4 of that for the ferkakata crime lab
and 34.7 times that much for a Metrorail. Because the metro has been such a success.

... Just how selected is this list?
... is that the sum total of 'criminal justice' earmarks?
Nothing was requested for juvenile justice, the courthouse, etc.?
Where was Cummings, aka the one who was supposed to have his snout in the trough for us?

Welcome, tourists

A body was found near Broadway pier in Fells Pint. "Initially, they thought the person may have been unconscious, but the person had died."

50 Years for Murder of Edward Jeter

From the SA's office:
"A Baltimore City jury today convicted Troy Levi Dukes, 39, of the 3600 block of Echodale Avenue of second-degree murder and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. Judge Charles G. Bernstein sentenced Dukes to 30 years for second-degree murder and 20 years for use of a handgun in a crime of violence consecutively for a total of 50 years in prison. The jury deliberated two days before returning with a guilty verdict.

Dukes shot and killed Edward Jeter, 28, on March 31, 2006 at a residence in the 900 block of Luzerne Ave. Police responded to the scene and discovered Jeter lying face down on the floor suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Witnesses identified Dukes as being in the residence arguing with Jeter immediately before hearing a gunshot."

Sounds like...

... we're keeping the death penalty but making it harder to apply.
Hassan Giordano: Dems dropped the ball

Tats for Tots

"TATS FOR TOTS - Illegal tattoos show juvenile gang membership growing"

"CRACKING THE SHIELD - The inside story of how Baltimore Police Officers William King and Antonio Murray were sentenced to a combined 454 years in prison on corruption charges."

County police are ISO a couple of chunky-looking white guys believed responsible for a series of burglaries in Cockeysville.

How sweet! UHF celeb/Personal injury lawyer Stephen L. Miles gave up ambulance-chasing to be a dad.

Is the Chandra Levy mystery finally going to be solved?

What the?! In PGC, a woman found her missing, murdered daughter's body in home they shared

Morning Media Blabber

Hearst media to begin to charge for digital news.

... meanwhile, Reader's Digest may file for bankruptcy!

Only 1 in 27?

Study: 1 in 27 Md. adults in correction system ... in 2008, it cost $86 to confine an offender in Maryland per day
(incredibly, the percentage of city residents is not much higher-- about 1 in 22, if this article's estimate of 28,000 is accurate)

A man shot during an attempted robbery/carjacking, a stickup in the ToonTown Center garage.

More on the Bounty Hunters, a citywide subset of the Bloods "ruthless enough to burn one of their own alive"

Senate to "employ a rarely used legislative maneuver" to bring death penalty bill to a vote

Last year's bogus-parking-ticket scandal may have been the result of MVA employees stealing license plates

Paige Croyder: maybe expungement isn't such a great idea

Hermann ranks the state's biggest drug busts
("reefer"? "grass"? Is that what the kids of today are calling it?)

#38

A stabbing incident in Hampden left 29 year old Nelson Gause dead (#38) and one injured on Sunday morning.

The End of Transparency

David Simon: "If those who are authorized and trained to carry a badge... are now too frightened to have their identities known to the public in conjunction with the use of force, then how can anyone in Baltimore law enforcement justify asking an unarmed, unsworn citizen to testify in court as a witness?

and
"In Baltimore, No One Left to Press the Police"

#37, shootings, and why O'Malley said "O'Dear..." today

Frederick Jeffrey Archer of North Arlington Avenue was found fatally stabbed in his apartment yesterday.

Last night in East Baltimore
four men on the 400 block of East Lanvale Street were shot. All four are expected to survive.

In a time where thousands of customers are impacted by astronomical energy rates, Governor O'Malley decided to fight the powers that be... on the Death Penalty. A staunch supporter of repealing it, the governor was hoping that this would be the year that it was finally repealed.
unfortunately for him, the Maryland Senate preferred not to. However, this is not it since it may still go before the Full Senate. Martin, you'd best get your guitar and tightest black t-shirt - you'll need it.

Police continue to arrest people for beating, stabbing and igniting a man in Leakin Park in December.
Check out the Investigative Voice: "Cops charge 3rd teen in grisly 'Bounty Hunter' murder"-- MJB

The youngest of those accused of killing former Councilman Kenneth Harris is pleading not guilty.
PS. I've heard from more than one inside source that the mystery woman in the car was the wife of a police officer, and that a lot of information on this case has been suppressed. Hope it goes to trial -- MJB

The Maryland Court of Appeals has defended the anonymity of online posters for those who wish to slander the blog if certain conditions are met. Fire away.

Talk about doing hard time: Fifteen former correctional officers at two different Correctional Institutions are being charged with giving stick time to inmates.

No Mas

I don't want to read the news any more. The Griffin story has upset me too much.

Why read the news, anyway? What's the point?

For a list of quality Baltimore blogs, sites & news sources, check the sidebar at right.

Parents Guilty, Gym Bag Goes Free

A 15-year-old boy was shot in the leg in the SW

A deadbeat dad who owed more than $94k in child support was arrested

"An arresting officer was not justified in opening an automobile passenger’s gym bag during a traffic stop without first squeezing it to determine if it contained a weapon, the Court of Appeals has held"

Black-market parking passes lead to a bust outside the ESPN Zone

In the county, John and Susan Griffin were found guilty of second-degree murder and child abuse. More from the Sun

Griffin trial = postponement for court admin's drug trial

The Ink has names and details for some of last week's five murder victims

Federal charges for Trenell David Murphy, target of the city's third or fourth-largest bust ever

New Site Alert!

Our friends from the Examiner are back!
Crackheads at the DPW! A median-strip beatdown! A purse-stealing campus cop! There's some crazy shiznit at InvestigativeVoice.com

LOLZ! WBAL reporter fired after apparently pranking the Huffington Post with a video that involves the phrase "Eric Holder and his bright blue scrotum."

"determination, hard work, and being true to your dream"

Documents unsealed from last week's XXXL drug bust-- the CP's got them, and all the requisite ironic details.

What the?! Hopkins employee steals identity of kidney-transplant patient, buys hardwood floors, fancy underpants

Two domestic assaults in the blotter

"Prince" gets 25 (federal) years for importing cocaine and heroin from the tropics

One Sean Sterling got 22 years for "two counts of using a gun in a drug trafficking crime resulting in death" in a case that RJR says "reveals a lot about why there are so many murders in Baltimore"

Ronald Kevin Bowen got 30 months for running his own little Madoff-y scheme

ACORN member to be charged with 4th-degree burglary after staging a protest break-in. Meanwhile, city council members want to extend the time between foreclosure to eviction from 14 days to 365

Elsewhere:
Baltimore man arrested for '06 Centreville rape and carjacking
PGC: Road-rage murder over a U-turn
MoCo: 52-year-old woman shot to death while leaving church
AAC: Home invasion ends in hail of BBS ... Worker busted for selling pot at the McDonald's drive-thru

35, 36

Unidentified man, 20s, stabbed to death at Eastern Avenue and South Conkling Street yesterday

and a man was fatally shot in the chest in Greenspring.

34

A 33-year-old man was the 34th murder this year, he was shot to death in the 2500 block of W. Baltimore St. early Saturday morning.

A man and a woman were shot in Woodlawn, police are looking for a silver Cadillac

"Officer challenges policy against naming police who kill
Charged in fatal shooting, he says rule fuels citizens' distrust"
More from hermann

A 16-year-old girl, Greshauna Rogers, is charged with murdering 20-year-old Petro Taylor.

"An inmate at the Metropolitan Transition Center in Baltimore and a former prison guard have been indicted on charges of extorting money from inmates' families."

What the?! From elsewhere:
An arrest is "imminent" in the case of Chandra Levy ... former crackhead/mayor of DC Marion Barry gets a new kidney ... some people hunt for sport/ others hunt for food/ the only thing he's hunting for is an outfit that looks gooood ....

Bolivian All-Stars

CP: It's like, so totally not the biggest drug bust ever.

Robert Simels, "Rolls Royce" of criminal-defense attorneys, is fighting to keep his fee arrangements secret.

Two County Two-Year-Olds

one story you can't get away from, and one you will probably never hear about again.

Nobody puts Baby in a chokehold!

More on the shooting death of sexagenarian Joseph Forrest. Sounds like Forrest put female officer Traci McKissick in a headlock, and then was shot by her partner (who shall remain nameless), a male sergeant and 15-year-veteran with incredible aim.

Police are looking for a man who fired at undercover officers and tried to run them down around Harford Road and Montebello Terrace.

Dayum. Police seize 91 pounds of cocaine (from whence & whom they're not saying)

Dundalk drunk hits police car on 695, puts trooper in the hospital

A city police officer was arrested and charged with shoplifting from Wal-Mart.

Two inmates stabbed each other at the Detention Center.

Lipscomb's lawyer: state prosecutors "blew us off"

Media Blabbler
The Tribune's bankruptcy hearing is scheduled for March 12 in Wilmington, DE.

Google gets into the journalism business

I love the Blotter, but there's a problem when shot humans get less ink than stolen tomatoes. Rather than the blotter being a "dying art," it's actually a skill fast replacing investigative journalism.

What the?! Iranian woman wants eye for an eye and is probably going to get it. & Not Baltimore, but should be: woman's life saved by bullet-stopping hair weave.