The Baltimore Sun
BALTIMORE — It was quiet Monday morning in Harlem Park, where for the better part of six days Baltimore police locked the West Baltimore neighborhood down as a crime scene amid the search for the suspect who killed Detective Sean Suiter Wednesday.
Two police cruisers and a homicide unit vehicle were the only clear signs of Baltimore Police presence in the community Monday morning. One cruiser was stationed near the open lot where police said Suiter was fatally shot.
Police said Sunday they intended to release the crime scene in the neighborhood after testing the patience of some residents over the course of the investigation.
Some residents have said they were being required to show identification to get past the police tape to enter their homes.
“Please know this crime scene preservation has been necessary,” Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said on Twitter on Sunday. “We will finish our exhaustive examination of the scene in the morning.”
As the reward for information on Suiter’s killer has climbed, police had maintained a perimeter in the neighborhood in hopes of gathering tips and preserving evidence. They have made no arrests.
Police say Suiter, 43, was investigating a triple homicide in the 900 block of Bennett Place on Wednesday afternoon when he saw someone acting suspiciously in a vacant lot and approached. The married father of five was shot once in the head. He was pronounced dead Thursday.
The Police Department thanked neighborhood residents for their patience and understanding during the prolonged investigation.
“We appreciate the support and sensitivity from our community during this difficult time,” the department said in a statement. “Our efforts to identify and arrest the perpetrator rely on the thoroughness of our investigation and our capacity to recover forensic, physical and other evidence.”
Suiter’s daughter set up an online GoFundMe fundraiser — the authenticity of which was verified by both GoFundMe and the Police Department — on Sunday to collect donations to the family. It raised more than $11,000 by Sunday evening.
Police asked anyone with information to call 911, the homicide unit at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.
Baltimore Sun reporters Colin Campbell, Talia Richman and Justin Fenton contributed to this story.
©2017 The Baltimore Sun