Baltimore Police Commander Byron Conaway Shoots a Morrell Park Man
On Monday, a Baltimore City Police Commander shot a man in the leg while on his way to a community meeting. Witnesses say the man was unarmed. This particular officer has been sued before and the city paid a settlement in that prior case. Also of note in this case is the leg shooting, which suggests that the officer either had bad aim or was using his gun in a less than lethal force required situation. Full details have not yet emerged. I don't think there is any justification for an officer using a gun for less than lethal force, like intentionally shooting someone in the leg to get them to comply, and officers are certainly not trained to use their guns in this way. This is going to be yet another lawsuit against the Baltimore City Police. And its going to be another case in which an officer that has already been sued was protected by his department. Its no wonder that the Baltimore City Police Department's culture of "us vs. them" and permissive attitudes towards violence go unaddressed; the leadership condones and participates in these acts.
Jared Jaskot is a Baltimore City Lawyer who sues the police for their brutality and misconduct.