BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Baltimore Police confirm a 15-year-old was arrested for being in possession of a handgun in the City on Aug. 4.
According to the Department, this past Tuesday evening an officer in the 600 block of North Montford Avenue in McElderry Park noticed a male showing signs of being armed with a weapon
Around this time and in this area of Monument Street the Southeastern Police District was taking part in National Night Out, an annual community-building campaign that helps connect people with police and build partnerships.
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According to dispatch audio, the officer called for back-up and there was a brief foot chase.
Baltimore Police confirm officers arrested the 15-year-old near North Montford Avenue and East Monument Street and recovered a glock-style handgun from his person.
Dispatch audio also indicated the gun recovery was captured on video.
When asked if the weapon was a ghost gun, a spokesperson said the weapon has been submitted to the crime laboratory for processing.
Sergeant Betsy Smith is a spokesperson for the National Police Association. She weighed in on the arrest.
“This is quick thinking by that police officer and certainly is crime prevention at its best. Instead of responding to a crime, in this case, perhaps a shooting, you have a juvenile taken into custody and one more illegal firearm off the streets,” said Sergeant Smith.
FOX45 News also asked BPD if the juvenile has recently been involved in any other crimes, has a prior criminal history and/or has previously been under the supervision of DJS, as juvenile crime remains top of mind and concern across the City and State.
“In my opinion, the juvenile justice system in Maryland is a broken system,” said Smith. “And this is something that is talked about by law enforcement, by the prosecutors, by city and state elected leaders.Juvenile offenders know that consequences are minimal. And this is not just a Maryland problem. This happens all over the nation. But if you don’t have consequences when you commit crimes, you will just continue to commit those crimes.”
BPD acknowledged additional questions about the juvenile suspect. A spokesperson said the inquiry is under review.
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