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BALTIMORE – Horrifying video footage was released Thursday that showed a driver traveling in a stolen vehicle fatally strike a pedestrian, another car and a Baltimore rowhome, which then collapsed over the wreckage, the New York Post reported.
The shocking sequence of events occurred Feb. 8 at about 8:55 p.m. after police tried to stop a suspect accused of stealing a Hyundai Sonata, officials said. Video of the fleeing Hyundai and the stunning collision was released by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, which is probing the incident.
As the Hyundai was racing down the street it slammed into another vehicle as the driver blew through a red light. Both automobiles caromed off the other and sent the pedestrian flying before they smashed into the vacant building, which quickly toppled to the ground and covered the cars in debris, the footage showed.
The pedestrian, Alfred Fincher, 54, of Baltimore was pronounced dead at the scene. The drivers of both automobiles survived and were transported to area hospitals to be treated for unspecified injuries. The suspect driving the Hyundai was subsequently taken into custody by police, the AG’s office said.
(Maryland OAG Independent Investigations Division/YouTube)
(Maryland OAG Independent Investigations Division/YouTube)
A pedestrian was killed in the crash and five others, including both drivers, were hurt. (Maryland OAG Independent Investigations Division/YouTube)
(Maryland OAG Independent Investigations Division/YouTube)
The fleeing suspect was identified as 33-year-old Shawn Lee Brunson. He was charged with auto theft, according to reports. No other charges were noted, although they would seem likely.
In addition to the two drivers, three others were injured in the catastrophic crash, CBS Baltimore reported.
The officers involved in the incident are under investigation by the attorney general’s Independent Investigation Division which is tasked with probing all officer-involved fatalities in the state. The division was created in 2021.
Baltimore Police Deputy Commissioner Richard Worley said in a news conference following the deadly crash that he didn’t believe officers chased after the car, but instead “tried to stop it,” the Baltimore Sun reported.
Per Baltimore police policy, officers are prohibited from pursuing a vehicle if the initial violation is a property crime, including auto theft, but is authorized to engage in a pursuit if the suspect is an immediate threat and if there is probable cause the suspect’s actions led to the death or serious injury of a victim prior to the pursuit. Various factors are also considered when deciding to chase a car, the news outlet reported.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the deadly crash occurred after an “attempted traffic stop.”
“Officers followed the Hyundai to the area of Sinclair Lane and North Wolfe Street, where it continued to flee,” the AG’s office said in a Feb. 10 press release that announced its inquiry.
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Source: www.lawofficer.com