Police: Man Shot By Baltimore Officer A 'Violent Repeat Offender'
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The man shot by a Baltimore police officer Tuesday night is 29-year-old Richard Gibbs, a "violent repeat offender," authorities say.
"The police officer who was involved in this incident is young, he's relatively still new to the police department, and he was doing exactly what we ask him and other members of the police department to do," said BPD Commissioner Kevin Davis at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
"Proactively be present in areas where we are routinely struck by violence and engage in the crime fight," said Davis.
Spokesman T.J. Smith clarified that the officer has been on the force for about a year-and-a-half and is assigned to the Western District.
"Let's not make any mistakes about it. This gun wasn't in a holster, this gun wasn't under the seat, this gun was in the hands of a bad guy," said Smith.
It was around 10:38 p.m. when that officer pulled over a gold BMW in the 1000 block of Monroe Street, an area with many vacant homes, according to Smith, for displaying "an obliterated license plate."
After initiating the stop, the officer called for backup.
"Sometimes officers get a sixth sense and they would prefer to have backup there," Smith said. "And that's a routine thing."
When backup arrived, multiple officers approached the vehicle. Gibbs opened his door but stayed inside the car, Smith said. As officers asked him to exit the vehicle, he "produced a handgun." It was a spraypainted, loaded revolver.
One of the officers saw the gun and yelled out, at which point Gibbs exited the car and there "was a very brief struggle."
The officer who made the initial traffic stop made an unsuccessful attempt to get the gun away from Gibbs, and then fired off a round, striking Gibbs in his right shoulder.
"Officers were confronted with that situation and had a very short period of time to make a decision and that decision was he had to pull the trigger to certainly prevent himself from harm," said Smith.
Gibbs is now in stable condition and is expected to survive.
Officers recovered a black, spray-painted revolver from the scene. Smith says Gibbs is violent, repeat offender. Online court documents show he's had deadly weapon charges in the past, along with attempted murder, and assault.
"He's a violent repeat offender, he's a prohibited gun carrier. He's one of many people who've been afforded suspended sentences," said Commissioner Davis.
He is being charged with handgun violations, second-degree assault, felony possession of a firearm and driving on a suspended license. He is still hospitalized and police say a warrant will be served, as soon as he's released.
None of the officers involved was wearing a body camera.
The officer who fired the shot has been placed on routine leave.
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