Baltimore Police Shoot Man Who Shot At Them During 'Behavioral Crisis'
BALTIMORE (WJZ) – A suspect is now in custody following a shootout in the streets on Christmas Day.
The shooting took place in northwest Baltimore in the 4100 block of Crawford Avenue in the Grove Park area around 4:30 p.m.
Officers returned fire, leaving many trapped inside their homes and cars wondering what is going on.
This shooting is only the latest in a violent year for Baltimore.
As of yesterday, there were 712 nonfatal shootings in the city.
Neighbors could not believe when they heard dozens of shots coming from up the street. One woman was caught in the crossfire, too afraid to get out of her car in fear a bullet may strike her. Others said bullets went through their walls and windows, and now they're just grateful to be alive.
"More gunfire, more gunfire," said Tanya Williams, who arrived at Milton Rice's home for Christmas dinner just before the bullets started flying.
"When I got right in front of his door, a round of fire started, just gunfire, and so, I was just frozen," Williams said.
Officers responded to a home where a man was suffering from a behavioral crisis, police said.
"The person there was challenged," Rice said.
The 59-year-old man told police he had a gun and began shooting, police said. People went running for cover.
"He just opened fire," Williams said. "They dropped on the ground, and it looked like they were in a war zone, crawling and firing back."
"They had shields and they were behind the shields," Rice said.
Rice could be heard screaming on the video from his doorbell camera.
Police shot the suspect who was taken to the hospital. Neighbors say he lived with his mother who they saw being carried away.
"They picked her up and they ran with her. It was an elderly lady, and they ran with her and put her in the police car," Williams said.
Helen and Bernard Wyche, who have lived here for more than 50 years, said the incident was terrifying.
"It's scary out here right now, very scary. Am i gonna come out of the house? Am i gonna be all right?" Helen Wyche said.
The police union said no officers were injured during this incident, but the suspect is in critical condition.
This incident is still under investigation and charges are currently pending.
