27 September 2012

At The Scene Of The Crime -- It's Been An Eventful Week So Far

It started with mass mayhem, a mob scene and a shooting in Towson early Sunday morning. A broad daylight shooting on Pennsylvania Avenue hours later. Followed up by a murder on Chesterfield Ave in East Baltimore that very night. That's three crime scenes in one day.

Wednesday morning was a man found dead (also murder) on Old York Road, leading up to a double shooting, including a four-year-old boy that night in Waverly. Each of these events found me live-on-scene, reporting via twitter, updating several thousand readers with the latest news of crime and grime on the gritty streets of Charm City. 
The incident in Towson was actually broken by me on twitter. Besides myself, there were no reporters ever on scene, at what would become one of the bigger local crime stories of the week. It's not uncommon for me to be first on location or first with the news.

In most cities this would be an eventful week for the average newspaper reporter, but for this reTIRED crime correspondent, it was just a small sample of how hectic things get covering the breaking news crime beat in Baltimore. 

To be honest, this has been more or less an average week. Folks in Baltimore have grown so used to a high level of violence, that what seems horrific and terrifying to people living in other places, is now quite routine and normal in Baltimore. In this city, the crime truly never stops and the violence knows no bounds.


The News Comes To Me


People unfamiliar with my crime reporting exploits could be forgiven for thinking I'm some sort of police scanner addicted, always on the go news hound, but the truth is somewhat different. More often than not, minding my own business, I suddenly find myself at the scene of the crime. Might sound unbelievable to some, but I promise you it really does happen that way. At first I had trouble coming to grips with it, but I've learned to accept and embrace it.

The sheer volume of crime and violence that's taken place in my immediate vicinity all throughout this city is staggering. Whether I'm simply driving down the street and come upon a scene just begging to unfold, or out for a walk and hear sporadic gunfire nearby, people who've followed me over the years know I simply have a nose for the news.

It should be made clear, while this week has found me at a number of incidents, I'm still technically retired, so there should be no expectations that this is some sort of return or comeback and that this will continue. No longer a staff writer at a news website, or crew member at a radio station, I'm simply a man with a smartphone, lurking in the shadows. The one, the only, Baltimore Spectator.

26 September 2012

DOUBLE SHOOTING: Four Year Old Boy & Mother Shot

Story & photo by A.F. James MacArthur 

A four year old boy suffered a gunshot wound to the arm and is being treated at a local hospital. The boy's mother was also shot during the same incident which took place about 9:45 p.m.
900 block of Gorsuch Ave., scene of  Wednesday night double shooting 
Police say the double shooting on the 900 block of Gorsuch Ave., in the Better Waverly neighborhood of north Baltimore, appears to be domestic related, with the victims knowing their shooter. A person of interest is being sought.

While on scene, a young boy about seven years old was seen by this writer being escorted by police to a waiting police car. The boy who appeared to be a witness was heard saying "he got shot right here" while gesturing.

A Baltimore Police statement on twitter stated both victims are expected to survive.

The incident was a few blocks away from a homicide discovered early Wednesday morning in the 3600 block of Old York Rd. At that incident, a man appeared to have been shot several times during the night and managed to make it inside his house before succumbing to his wounds and being discovered by members of his family the next morning.

Al Sharpton Sounds Off On Obamamania

"I am tired of people thinking Obama is gonna solve the world's problems. He ain't Jesus ya'll. Let's keeps things in perspective, alright?" -- Reverend Al Sharpton via twitter (@TheReverendAl)

Georgia jeweler: Buy a diamond, get a free gun : http://usat.ly/P8YQeJ

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Orlando mailman accused of selling cocaine on his route http://tiny.iavian.net/7us

White supremacists to gather in Tenn. : http://usat.ly/PgzoF5

13 September 2012

Mans Best Friend Till The End

http://bit.ly/OIF2P8 Loyal dog ran away from home to find his dead master's grave - and has stayed by its side for six years ...

http://bit.ly/OJqmiV Couple arrested after a passerby spotted them having sex in a public park in broad daylight ... #MailOnline

Protesters storm U.S. Embassy in Yemen : http://usat.ly/RTywJ1

12 September 2012

American poverty rate unchanged http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19577896

10 September 2012

Packing Heat -- Teen Shoots Self Right In The Unit

Teenager 'accidentally shoots himself in the genitals while cleaning new gun and tried to blame it on http://bit.ly/SxToIl

Eye For An Eye? Rapist Shot In Face With Own Gun

'He got what was coming to him': Rape suspect appears in court with bandage after police say victim wrestled gun away from him... http://bit.ly/Sy9Jwy

04 September 2012

ARMED CITIZEN: 92 Year Old Veteran Defends His Home, Shoots, Kills Thug Intruder

'I aimed right for his heart': WWII veteran, 92, tells how he lay in wait for intruder in his favorite arm chair http://bit.ly/TWeFqe

Threesome Of Death!

BLACK WIDOW! Woman, 22, involved in secret love triangle 'poisoned BOTH her lovers' http://bit.ly/TWa3QX

Kill Your Wife, Go To Prison, Get A Sex Change

Judge rules convict who murdered his wife will receive $20,000 sex change funded by the TAXPAYER ... http://bit.ly/TWfKOD

01 September 2012

GUN CONTROL!

Still think only the cops should be allowed to carry guns? Bet you this officer doesn't!

Armed citizen shoots trailer gunman, saves officers live!