Baltimore started 2026 with a chill that had nothing to do with the weather, as the city recorded 12 homicides in January, one more than in December, and 20 nonfatal shootings. Two of those shootings involved officers firing their weapons, in separate incidents on Jan. 7 near Mount Vernon and Jan. 19 in Bolton Hill. Both cases have already produced body-worn camera footage and a flurry of arrests across the city.
Mount Vernon Traffic Stop Turns Into Shooting
On the evening of Jan. 7, a Central District officer pulled over a vehicle on the 300 block of West Franklin Street for a suspended registration tag. When the officer returned to the car with the driver’s license and registration, he spotted what appeared to be a firearm tucked into the driver’s waistband. Investigators say the driver hit the gas, dragging the officer along the roadway. The officer fired one round into the vehicle and then fell to the ground, according to the department.
The driver, identified by police as 29-year-old Marquise Wells, drove himself to a nearby hospital, where he was treated and later taken into custody. He is charged with assault and related offenses, according to the Baltimore Police Department.
Darley Park And Hollinswood Cases Highlight Broader Spike
Detectives also spent January chasing leads in a cluster of fatal and nonfatal shootings across the city. In Darley Park, investigators arrested three people in an armed robbery that turned deadly and left 36-year-old Davon Johnson fatally shot. On Jan. 15, a triple shooting at the Hollinswood Shopping Center killed 25-year-old Treyvon Matthews and wounded two others, according to local reporting.
In a separate case, police arrested 30-year-old Eric Jones in connection with the death of 33-year-old Dashond Johnson, whose body was later found near the Gwynns Falls Trail. Jones faces first- and second-degree murder charges, according to The Baltimore Banner.
Bolton Hill Standoff And Body-Worn Footage
On Jan. 19, officers responding to multiple calls at an apartment building on the 1100 block of Park Avenue encountered 48-year-old Autumn Elizabeth Denny, who they say was brandishing a large knife and an electrical stun stick. After what police describe as repeated de-escalation attempts and two unsuccessful Taser deployments, one officer fired his service weapon, striking Denny twice. She was taken to a hospital and later charged with assault and weapons offenses…