By Maggie Trovato
Baltimore Sun
BALTIMORE — A Baltimore City Circuit judge found Baltimore Police Officer Robert Parks not guilty Thursday of attempted murder and first-degree assault.
However, Judge Dana Middleton ruled that Parks was guilty of second-degree assault, three counts of misconduct in office and reckless driving, all misdemeanor charges.
| WEBINAR: What 24 years of active shooter after-action reports reveal
The verdict followed a two-day bench trial in which Parks took the stand, denying prosecutors’ allegations that he struck Antrell Smith with his police cruiser during a pursuit in the Central Park Heights neighborhood of Northwest Baltimore on Oct. 28, 2025.
Before handing down her verdict late Thursday afternoon, Middleton said that she didn’t believe Parks was trying to kill Smith during the chase. But she said she did find that Parks had used “excessive” force in driving his cruiser at Smith, who was on foot.
“It is not legally justified,” she said.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors alleged that the 32-year-old officer intended to hurt Smith after Smith ignored his request to come to his vehicle. They said Parks dangerously accelerated his vehicle toward Smith, striking him in the leg before continuing to chase him and nearly striking him a second time.
Parks’ attorney contended that his client had no intention to harm Smith and was trying to take a man with a warrant into custody without escalating the incident. Parks testified that he believed Smith had a gun on him and that the decisions he made that day were in an effort to avoid having to discharge his firearm.
The verdict comes nearly one year after cellphone video of the chase made the rounds online. The encounter led the Baltimore Police Department to suspend Parks without pay. The following month, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates announced Parks’ indictment.
“While we respect the Court’s decision, the behavior demonstrated by Officer Parks seriously threatened the life of the victim and the general public,” Bates said in a statement to The Baltimore Sun . “As in any case, we will now prepare to advocate for an appropriate sentence that reflects the Defendant’s serious actions.”
“Police officers are entrusted with tremendous authority and an obligation to protect the public by making decisions on the job that prioritize safety,” Bates added. “When an officer instead engages in reckless conduct that threatens the lives of our residents, it undermines the critical trust between law enforcement and the community. These convictions, particularly the three counts of Misconduct in Office, will place Officer Parks on our office’s Do Not Call List.”
The “Do Not Call” list identifies current and former city law enforcement officers whom the state’s attorney’s staff should avoid calling to testify in court. That list includes members of the Gun Trace Task Force , officers who were convicted of defrauding Baltimore residents through a complex towing scheme, officers who were convicted of assault or domestic violence, and others.
Middleton’s ruling
Middleton said she relied mostly on video evidence in making her decision, adding that she found Smith’s testimony to be credible.
During her remarks, Middleton brought up discrepancies that she found between the videos and Parks’ testimony. She said that while Parks testified that he didn’t believe he struck Smith with his cruiser, it was clear to her that he had.
“I watched the video,” she said. “The patrol vehicle makes contact with Mr. Smith.”
Middleton said the videos contradict Parks’ testimony that he slowed down as he approached an alleyway, pursuing Smith before crashing into a neighbor’s backyard.
“It’s not at all what you hear, let alone what you see,” she said about Parks’ testimony, adding that the cruiser didn’t slow down until after running over the neighbor’s fence and into their backyard.
Middleton also said that Parks lied when he radioed in that he had a “runner” after Smith walked away from him. “Mr. Smith is not running,” she said. “He’s walking.”
Parks violated department policy in the pursuit, Middleton said. She found him guilty of misconduct in office for assaulting Smith, violating department policy and breaking transportation article laws.
While she also found him guilty of second-degree assault, Middleton said that she couldn’t find Parks guilty of first-degree assault. She said that there was not sufficient evidence to prove that he intended to cause serious physical injury to Smith.
Chaz Ball, Parks’ attorney, declined to comment on the verdict Thursday.
Testimony
During the trial, Smith testified that the pursuit began after Parks called him over to his police cruiser. When Parks wouldn’t tell Smith why he was calling him over, Smith walked away in an attempt to avoid harassment, he said.
About 10 seconds later, Smith testified, he heard a car coming toward him at full speed. He said that he dodged the car and ran to a nearby field, where Parks struck him in the left leg with his cruiser.
Smith said Parks continued to chase him before plowing through a resident’s fence and nearly hitting Smith a second time.
Parks testified that he drove toward Smith in an attempt to cut Smith off before he could reach his own vehicle. He said the chase was his attempt to corral Smith, who had an open bench warrant due to a missed court appearance five days earlier.
Parks said the way that Smith was walking made it seem like he had a weapon in his waistband. He said he continued to follow Smith so that he could keep track of his movements and communicate them to dispatch and other officers.
Parks denied hitting Smith and denied coming anywhere close to hitting Smith a second time.
During closing arguments Wednesday, Baltimore Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Trostle said that by accelerating his vehicle, Parks ignored department policy and escalated the situation. He alleged that Parks only told people he believed Smith was armed in an attempt to excuse his actions.
Ball said during closings that Parks was making a “calculated” decision to corral Smith and to avoid a dangerous vehicle pursuit. He said his client didn’t have a “corrupt motive” and, therefore, should be found not guilty.
Parks has a sentencing hearing scheduled for Jan. 12.
Have a news tip? Contact Maggie Trovato at mtrovato@baltsun.com, 443-890-0601 or on X @MaggieTrovato.
©2026 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
