BREAKING: Arrests Made In Greenmount Killing

developing . . .

Troy Taylor (m-b-18) and Michael Rapheal Hunter arrested for the April 8 murder of 72 year old Charles Bowman.

Greenmount Solidarity Walk, A Show Of Support, Working Together

Rally Had A Lesson On How Government Should Function

By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and a host of top Baltimore City government officials gathered on Greenmount Ave. in a show of force and support. “We want you to come out to Waverly, come out to Greenmount, but don’t bring any trouble with you" said City Council President Jack Young. “If you bring any trouble here, we got something for you.”"

A week ago today, right at Greenmout Ave. and 33rd St., the main intersection of the area, 21 year-old Damon Minor was shot and killed in broad daylight. His assailant chased him down the street firing numerous shots striking him thoughout the the body and head. The brazen attack, on a crowded street sent out shockwaves, rattling the Waverly community.

48 hours before, 72 year old Charles Bowman was shot and killed inside the Yau Brothers Carry Out Restaurant in a robbery gone bad. The Greenmount Ave./Waverly area is no stranger to violence.

Last year three people were shot inside the same Yau Brothers restaurant, leaving two dead and one seriously wounded. Several years ago, the manager of the Blockbuster Video store was shot and killed inside the store. The store permanently closed its doors as a result. The incidents all happened within the same two block radius. Spread the circle out a bit further, count other types of crimes, and the crime map becomes way too clustered and filled with too many incidents to make any sense of it.

As Mayor Blake and her entourage including Council President Jack Young, City Councilwoman Mary-Pat Clarke, City Councilman Carl Stokes, Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld and Fire Chief James Clack led the way, a crowd of approximately 200 people followed. Among them were local residents and business owners all out to send a message that the recent spike in violence was not acceptable and would not be taken lying down.

Hit especially hard are the merchants on Greenmount Ave. who complain that a week later, things have been tough. They say the recent violence have folks no longer feeling safe and there’s been a noticeable drop in foot traffic. Fighting to eradicate urban decay and turn things around, the merchants have a vision of Greenmount as a Waverly Main Street. A safe place to take your family shopping, dining and to experience a traditional Baltimore neighborhood.

Without a sense of safety and security, these businesses already dealing with a weakened economy, will only suffer further, with some of them not making it.

With so many heads of local government including Assistant Commissioner of Code Enforcement Eric Booker, even the Director of the Department of Transportation Alfred Foxx, it was the perfect gathering of different parts of government all coming together in the same place, at the same time, focusing on a simple central mission, and sending a clear message to the community. To those that want a better Baltimore, we’re behind you. To those who bring violence, you won’t be tolerated.

If only Baltimore City government actually functioned on a day to day basis with such cohesiveness, clear purpose and focus, what a better place this would be. Perhaps our leaders need to get out more, A LOT MORE…ALL OF THEM, together, AT THE SAME TIME, neighborhood by neighborhood. Followed up by solid continued action, there would actually be chance to reclaim this city from the current direction of destruction we’ve been headed in for some time now.

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Additional photos from today event can be viewed on my FaceBook page

Police Commissioner & Others To Lead "Solidarity Walk"

Troubled Greenmount Ave. The Focus Of Demonstration To Turn Things Around

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2:00 PM

BEGINNING AT DARKER THAN BLUE,

3034 GREENMOUNT AVENUE

2:00 PM

please join us as

Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld,

Fire Chief James Clack,

Council President Jack Young,

& our Northern District Police Commanders

lead neighbors and friends

in a

SOLIDARITY WALK TO PROMOTE RESTORED SAFETY

to GREENMOUNT AVENUE

We’ll walk north from Darker Than Blue to East 35^th Street,

then south on the eastside of Greenmount to East 29^th,

then back, completing the circuit.

We have suffered a sudden and unacceptable spike of violence in recent weeks along our Waverly Main Street.

Police, Fire and all of Baltimore City support our efforts now

to restore the safety and security we require.

Please turn-out to signal the turn-around.

Thanks.

Mary Pat Clarke, District Councilwoman

Police Shoot At Unarmed Man

By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L., Managing Editor

Note: After story and headline was written, Baltimore Police issued an update several hours later claiming the suspect was not shot by police, but injured himself while fleeing.

As the first member of local media on scene, this reporter approached the scene seeking answers. The yellow tape was all around. Greenmount Ave., a major artery leading in and out of the city was blocked off.“You can be here, you gotta go on the other side of the street.” Although I stood outside the police line, I was still too close for the officers on the scene.

A funny observation was when all of the “mainstream,” that is, white media arrived, they stood right up against the same line without getting any harassment from the police. This reporter joined them and was able to do several live reports for Radio One. With the help of newsman Robert Altman in studio, we went on air over all four radio stations immediately with the story before anyone else.

When I was initially shooed away from the scene, I interviewed many local eyewitnesses. Their story is a man jumped out a car and was being chased by police. They heard a shot fired from the alley and the man eventually staggered out in handcuffs escorted by police. Several witnesses claim the man was struck several times and beaten by police although he was in handcuffs.

This reporter observed the man with an open wound on his hand left to sit on the curb in handcuffs for over an hour. A city Fire Department medic unit arrived on scene and left without transporting the victim.

Per Officer Troy Harris, Baltimore Police spokesman: Around 3:25 near the 1000 block of Lanvale St., plain clothes officers observed a man in a black Dodge Magnum in a suspected drug transaction. The officers attempted to make a stop and the suspect fled.

The police helicopter was notified and maintained contact with the suspect. With the officers on the ground following, the suspect led them to the 300 block of 23rd St., near Greenmount Ave. At this point the suspect bailed out and fled into an alley behind the Greenmount Ave. Recreation Center.

While in the alley, the suspect failed to respond when the officer told him to show his hands. At this point the officer fired a single shot.

Upon searching the suspect, no weapons or drugs were found. This reporter also personally witnessed several plain clothes officers completely search the suspects car from top to bottom. There were no weapons or drugs found there either. The car was towed to the crime lab for a more detailed examination.

Before any other members of media arrived, this reporter witnessed a city Fire Dept. ladder truck arrive on scene. Several plain clothes officers climbed the ladder to get onto the roof of the rowhouse behind which the shooting took place.

At the time of the incident, Ofc. Harris stated it was unclear whether the suspects wounds were from the officers shooting, or possibly an injury sustained while fleeing and or jumping over fences.

Per department policy, the name of the plain clothes male officer, or his female partner was not released.

The incident kept Greenmount Ave. closed for nearly two hours during rush hour. Several MTA buses loaded with passengers were seen sitting idle stuck in the resulting traffic backup.