Man Charged With Shooting Baltimore Officer

BALTIMORE (WJZ) --  More arrests are possible Monday morning, in the attempted murder of a Baltimore City police officer.

Alex DeMetrick reports a 30-year-old man has been charged in a warrant with attempted murder in the shooting of a 24-year-old Baltimore police officer on a busy downtown street.

Franklin Gross is under police guard at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. He'll be arrested and formally charged once he's released.

"As the uniform police officer made his approach, the suspect quickly turned and fired a shot striking the officer in the upper left shoulder," said Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld.  "Officers were on the scene nearly instantaneous to the shooting and engaged the suspect in a running gun battle."

Just after 1 a.m. Saturday, as clubs and bars were closing and the streets were filling up with patrons, police say officers approached Gross on Calvert Street because Gross appeared to be armed. Gross fled and fired at the officers, who returned fire.

One officer was shot above his bullet-proof vest in the chest and is expected to recover. Police say they're not releasing his name at this point because he's the victim of a crime.  However police say the officer has been on the force for a year. 

Investigators say Gross hopped into a car with two other people inside. They have not yet been charged.

Officers fired more rounds at the car, which crashed into a light pole on Franklin Street.  More than 20 shots were fired in exchange.

No one else was injured.

Police found the suspect at Mercy Hospital, where they say he walked in to get treatment for his gunshot wounds.

Gross faces charges including attempted murder, assault and handgun offenses.