Baltimore police officers shot a domestic violence suspect in the leg early Tuesday morning ?the 21st person shot by city police this year.
At about 4 a.m. officers responded to the 3000 block of Thorndale Avenue for a report of a man assaulting a woman and a young child, either 1 or 2 years old, Baltimore police spokesman Sterling Clifford said.
Two officers spotted the man allegedly involved in the incident, Ronald Bennett, 21, and chased him on foot onto the 3000 block of Garrison Boulevard, where Bennett hid behind an oil storage tank in a dark area, Clifford said.
The officers repeatedly told Bennett to come out from behind the tank and one perceived a threat, causing both to fire, police said.
Bennett was struck in the leg by a bullet and taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Bennett was on probation for drug charges and had an open warrant for his arrest from a failure to appear in court Monday, police said.
“It?s a core group that is responsible for a lot of the crime in the city, guys who commit crimes again and again,” Clifford said.
There have been 21 shootings involving city police officers this year, six of which have been fatal. Two people also have died after being struck with Tasers while in city police custody.
