The fatal February shooting of a man in Baltimore has been deemed justified by local detectives following an investigation.
Baltimore Police Department detectives found that before 42-year-old Joseph Garrison was fatally shot on Feb. 7, he had tried to rob a person who was legally carrying a gun and shot Garrison in self-defense, the Baltimore Sun reported.
Police said the 24-year-old shooter remained on the scene and was released without charges after being detained and questioned.
Police were alerted to the scene around 7:25 p.m. Feb. 7 and found Garrison lying in the street near the suspect, whose name has not been released, local outlet WBFF reported. The incident occurred in the 3900 block of Ridgecroft Road, a residential area in northeast Baltimore.
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Garrison was pronounced dead after being transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, WBFF reported.
There have been 55 robberies in Baltimore this year as of March 24, according to Baltimore police data.
Applications for concealed carry permits in Maryland rose by nearly seven times in 2022 after a landmark Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen forced the loosening of some state restrictions, the Herald-Mail reported.
Among U.S. cities, Baltimore has the second-biggest problem with homicide rates, according to a recent WalletHub report. The city saw more than 13 homicides per 100,000 residents in the last quarter of 2022, according to the report.
Homicides and non-fatal shootings happened in Baltimore slightly less in 2022 than in 2021, but Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said “we are not where we need to be” and spoke of a “broken system” that preceded his administration, WBAL reported.
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WMAR reported that Garrison’s death has been removed from Baltimore police homicide data, leaving 2023’s year-to-date total at 54 as of March 22.
