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Grand jury indicts Baltimore police officer in shooting
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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Baltimore Police Officer Tommy Sanders was indicted today on one count of voluntary manslaughter and one count of involuntary manslaughter over the shooting of an unarmed man in January.
His is the second indictment of a police officer in 12 years, according to the city State's Attorney's Office.
Veteran city prosecutor Donald Giblin had asked jurors to consider charges of manslaughter and second-degree murder against Sanders, a 5-year veteran of the police force, who shot Edward Lamont Hunt, 27, to death on Jan. 30, sources said.
The Examiner first raised questions about the shooting after witnesses told the paper Hunt was unarmed and shot in the back after being frisked by a city police officer.
Hunt was shot when he broke away from the officer after a lengthy field interview, witnesses said. The officer told investigators Hunt broke away before he had finished frisking him.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also probing the case.
In April, city police turned over to the FBI transcripts of interviews with about 20 witnesses and other evidence related to Hunt's death at a Northeast Baltimore shopping center.
Among the evidence turned over are video surveillance tapes taken from a nearby dollar store. The tape allegedly shows Hunt running away with Sanders in pursuit, gun drawn, just moments before the three shots were fired, sources said.
Police officials initially said Hunt possessed drugs, yet they haven't released details of what types of drugs they believe Hunt was carrying.
In an interview earlier this year, Baltimore City State's Attorney Patricia Jessamy told The Examiner her prosecutors have taken police-involved shootings to a grand jury "just a few times" in her 12-year career.
Jessamy said the grand jury has only returned one indictment against an officer in a police-involved shooting during her term in office. That indictment resulted in an involuntary manslaughter conviction.
Hunt's fiancee, Lakia Jeter, hired attorney Dwight Pettit to represent the family in a wrongful-death suit against the police department.
sjanis@baltimoreexaminer.com
lbroadwater@baltimoreexaminer.com
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10:16 PM MST on Wed., Jul. 16, 2008 re: "Grand jury indicts Baltimore police officer in shooting"
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Examiner Reader said:
Guess the States Atty officer got a bribe from the Defense Atty on this one two like they always do some needs to investigate the bribes the states atty receive nown fact seen it
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Happiness,Life& The Twist said:
I guess the story would have been better for a lot of people who hate all cops even the good ones that protect and serve.If this guy (god rest his soul) had over powered this cop during the frisk search had taken his weapon and kill the officer instead. My heart and blessings go out to both families. People can say what they would have done if they were in that situation but what would they have done if they were in either one of these guy's shoes.
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Examiner Reader said:
bet they wont nol pros this police officer case like they do these thugs running the streets! thank you pat jess and friends for making this a safe place! makes me sick to my stomach and if you need proof then go up to any balt city courthouse during the day and you too will see what a joke this place is! people wonder why its so bad here in the city--criminals have more rights than we do!
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The Undertaker said:
The State's Attorney should be applauded for taking this action. We simply cannot tolerate rogue cops who think that they have a license to kill.
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Examiner Reader said:
They should indict the Balto City States Attorney. She is always on the side of the criminals. Got paid an additonal amount of $200 grand for what. God bless this officer, he will be acquitted. SWe continue to be a city of crime while the criminals continue to rove the streets because of this lousy States Attorney.
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Examiner Reader said:
I think the officer did a great job.
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