By Police1 Staff
BALTIMORE — Recently released body cam footage shows a Baltimore officer running toward the sound of gunfire and apprehending the suspected gunman.
On April 19, a Baltimore officer was dealing with a landlord-tenant dispute when the sound of gunfire rang out, WMAR reports. The officer immediately ran toward the sound as the shots gave way to a woman screaming.
The officer eventually encountered the suspect and ordered him to put his gun away and get on the ground. The suspect complied and was arrested.
Responding officers found 30-year-old Walter Baynes and a 69-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds, according to WBAL-TV. Both men were taken to a hospital, where Baynes succumbed to his injuries.
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According to charging documents, police searched the suspect, identified as 17-year-old Eric Gilyard, and found a 9mm handgun in his waistband. Police also said they found 23 casings on the scene that matched with Gilyard’s weapon.
Baltimore Police spokesperson TJ Smith said the officer was “commended for his quick and decisive action that also can be categorized as life-saving.”
“The officer didn’t hesitate at all to run right into danger,” Smith said in a statement. “Any person bold enough to shoot and kill a man a half a block from a uniformed police officer, undoubtedly poses a continued threat to public safety. His performance was exemplary and his decisiveness ended an immediate threat.”
Gilyard is now awaiting trial for the murder of Baynes and the attempted murder of the 69-year-old man.