Police said the man pointed a handgun at the officer during a foot pursuit near a library and child care center.
BALTIMORE — A Baltimore police officer shot and critically wounded a man Thursday after police said the man pointed a handgun at the officer during a foot chase near the Erdman Shopping Center in the city’s Belair-Edison neighborhood.
The shooting occurred shortly after 12:15 p.m. in the 3900 block of Erdman Avenue, according to Baltimore police. The officer was working a crime suppression operation in a marked police vehicle when he began speaking with the man, Chief of Patrol Col. Ryan Lee said. What prompted the officer to approach the man remained unclear as investigators continued reviewing the encounter.
Police said the officer got out of his vehicle and approached the man on foot. The man then ran, and the officer followed him. During the pursuit, police said the man pulled out a semiautomatic handgun, turned toward the officer and pointed the weapon in his direction. The officer fired multiple rounds, striking the man.
Other officers arrived and provided medical aid before the wounded man was taken to an area hospital in critical condition, police said. Authorities had not publicly identified him as of Thursday night but said they believed he was an adult. The officer was not injured. Police said a handgun was recovered at the scene.
Lee said investigators reviewed body-worn camera footage from the encounter. Police said the video supported their account that the man pointed a firearm at the officer before the officer opened fire. Authorities had not said whether the man fired the gun. Investigators also had not publicly explained why he ran or what led to the officer’s initial contact with him.
The shooting occurred near the Herring Run Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library and a child care center, raising concern about the potential danger to people nearby. Mayor Brandon Scott, who joined police officials at a briefing, described the episode as traumatic for the neighborhood and said officials were fortunate that the officer and other people in the area were not injured.
The police response affected the surrounding area for hours. Authorities closed portions of the 3800 and 3900 blocks of Erdman Avenue while detectives and evidence technicians worked near the shopping center. Police initially asked people to avoid the area as officers secured the scene and began collecting evidence.
The officer had been assigned to an overtime crime suppression operation intended to address concerns about criminal activity in the neighborhood, police said. Officials did not immediately release the officer’s name or provide additional details about the specific activity that officers were targeting when the encounter began.
The Maryland Attorney General’s office was notified after the shooting, and the case was referred for the independent review required for police-involved shootings. Investigators were continuing to examine body-camera footage, physical evidence and the circumstances that led to the confrontation. Police had not announced any change in the wounded man’s critical condition by the latest reports reviewed Friday.
Author note: Last updated October 23, 2026.