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Man In Critical Condition After Being Shot By Baltimore City Police

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — City police say a man had a knife and refused to drop it. They shot him several times.

Mike Hellgren has more on the unfolding investigation.

Police have now identified the man they shot as Franklin Williams. Williams' sister spoke Monday afternoon but says she's too upset to say much. Williams remains in critical condition.

The chaotic scene unfolded after police responded to a call about a family disturbance in Southwest Baltimore. It was on Morley Street near Edmondson Avenue and Hilton Parkway. When they got to the home, officers say they found Williams in an upstairs bedroom holding a knife. They tried to get him to put it down but they say he would not---so they shot him several times.

"I heard what sounded like three shots. Gunshots," said neighbor Beulah Shannon.

Shannon then remembers hearing Williams' mother cry out.

"`Oh, they killed my son,'" she said.

But her son was still alive and was rushed to a hospital.

As of this point, police have not identified the officer who fired the shots.

Williams' sister was too shaken to speak with WJZ but she did tell our media partner, the Baltimore Sun, that her brother suffers from schizophrenia and lives with their parents.

Police describe his behavior as unruly and argumentative.

"He began to advance to police officers with that knife. After numerous commands, police officers asked him to drop the knife. He did not and was shot numerous times," said Anthony Guglielmi, Baltimore City Police spokesperson.

This was the eleventh police-involved shooting in the city this year.

Internal Affairs is now investigating, along with the Homicide Division.

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