BPD Officer takes stand in attempted murder trial sparked by viral pursuit video

BALTIMORE, Md. (WBFF) — The trial continues for the suspended Baltimore Police Officer charged with the attempted murder of a civilian.

Officer Robert Parks, 32, took the stand as the first witness for the Defense.

The five-year veteran of the Department is facing multiple charges, including second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and misconduct in office.

The charges stem from an incident involving a civilian in north Baltimore on October 28, 2025.

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The Baltimore City State’s Attorney announced Officer Parks’ indictment the following month, claiming he struck the civilian with his patrol vehicle during a pursuit.

Investigators said the victim had an open warrant and Officer Parks was attempting to take him into custody.

A bystander captured the encounter on his cell phone.

The video that went viral captured Officer Parks driving onto the sidewalk and into a grassy field in pursuit of the suspect before ultimately crashing into a fence and disabling his vehicle.

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The Baltimore Police Department suspended Officer Parks without pay.

The civilian victim in this case took the stand following opening statements from both the State and Defense.

The State introduced several pieces of video evidence, including the viral cell phone video, CCTV footage which captured Officer Parks pursuing the victim onto the sidewalk and across traffic, and Officer Parks ‘ body-worn camera footage, which also captured the pursuit, as well as Officer Parks’ interaction with the victim prior to the pursuit.

That interaction began outside Wylie Liquors in north Baltimore, where in the body-worn camera footage you can hear Officer Parks ask a group to clear the area.

Officer Parks then gets back into his patrol vehicle, and then you can hear Parks interacting with the victim, saying, “Antrell, hey, come here. Come here. Don’t make it worse. Don’t make it worse. Straight up with you. Straight up with you, you’ve got to come.”

Parks is then heard radioing in the victim’s description, followed by lights and sirens during the pursuit.

The civilian testified he didn’t know why Officer Parks was telling him to come here and said Officer Parks never said anything about an arrest or warrant.

“I ran away. I was scared for my life,” the victim testified.

The State also called three investigators to the stand.

ALSO READ | Personnel file for suspended officer indicted after viral video shows previous infractions

During questioning of one, the State noted that in Parks’ crash report, Parks wrote the victim was displaying characteristics of an armed person and never mentioned striking a person in a grassy field.

The investigators testified he should have provided that information in the crash report.

The Defense cross-questioned each of these witnesses, including questioning the victim of his knowledge of his outstanding warrant, and Officer Parks’ intent when telling him to come here.

During opening statements, the Defense told the Judge, “What you’re going to see is not an officer attempting to create bodily harm. He was attempting to bring a wanted criminal into custody.”

The State rested its case around 3:30 pm Monday.

The Defense called Officer Parks as its first witness.

During Officer Parks’ testimony, he testified he went to that location because officers with BCIC who were monitoring the Citiwatch cameras that day informed him of the victim’s location and that he had an open warrant for his arrest.

The warrant was for a Failure to Appear in connection with a misdemeanor CDS Possession Not Cannabis case in Baltimore City.

Officer Parks testified that once he saw the victim, he thought he was showing signs of being armed and thought he was acting within his legal authorities, and wasn’t aware his patrol vehicle had made contact with him.

The State will have the opportunity to cross-question Officer Parks beginning tomorrow morning.

Officer Parks rejected plea deals, including one offered Monday before the start of the trial.

His attorney said he would possibly comment once proceedings have concluded.

This is a bench trial, meaning there is no jury; rather, the judge will render a verdict.