Latest news with #LaburtImprovementCommunityAssociation
CBS News
14 hours ago
- CBS News
Handcuffed man dies in Baltimore police custody; Community questions why ambulance never arrived
Baltimore's City Council President is calling for an oversight hearing into the response to several recent deaths, including a man who became unresponsive while in police custody this week. The man's name has yet to be released, and the public was not made aware of his death until two days after it happened. Death in police custody It started when a person who appeared to be having a mental health crisis approached an officer who stopped at the intersection of West Franklin Street and North Franklintown Road just after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night. The intersection of West Franklin Street and North Franklintown Road, where a man approached a police officer while having a mental health crisis. Mike Hellgren "What the hell is going on right now in Baltimore City on the West side? The summer just started. I'm mad. I'm angry," said Janet Bailey, the president of the Laburt Improvement Community Association. The Franklintown Road incident is the second death involving Baltimore City police that Bailey has responded to this week. She remembered seeing the man who died and said he was often at the intersection of North Franklintown Road and West Franklin Street. "He walks back and forth in the street, shaking his head in the street, walking back and forth in the street," Bailey said. "Many times, he'll walk from here—Poplar Grove, Edmondson Avenue, down here—back and forth all day." The officer tried to restrain him because he said he was going in and out of traffic and was in danger, according to the account from the Attorney General's Office. More officers then arrived and put the man in handcuffs and leg restraints. At some point, he became unresponsive, so they called for a medic. WJZ Investigates reviewed dispatch audio where the officer is asked several times if an ambulance has arrived. Around 10:30 p.m., with no help on the way, police transported the unresponsive man themselves in a police car. "So, they transported him in their car? Why is that?" Bailey asked. "We're right here in West Baltimore. Bon Secours Hospital is right here. St. Agnes is up there. Why is it taking so long for the EMS to get to us? Why?" She added, "What if it was your son, your brother, your mother lying there and the EMS taking all this time to get here. It's unacceptable." Police said they are "aware of the incident and our Special Investigation Response Team is investigating, alongside the Attorney General's Office." The man died at the hospital around 3 a.m. Wednesday, according to authorities. The Independent Investigations Division of the Maryland Attorney General asks anyone with information about this incident, including cell phone or private surveillance video, to contact them at (410) 576–7070 or email IID@ Three Baltimore Police-involved deaths in June This is the third death in a little more than a week during a response by City Police. Just days earlier, police shot and killed arabber Bilal "BJ" Abdullah in Upton after they said he pointed a gun at officers. And the day after the Franklintown Road incident, police killed a knife-wielding 70-year-old woman, Pytorcarcha Brooks, just a few blocks away. They said she was also having a mental health crisis. "Where is Commissioner Worley? I want to talk to him personally because he said on TV our police officers are trained for this. No, they're not!" Bailey said. Like Bailey, several other people in this community want accountability. "It makes you wonder what's going on with the system. The police, ambulance—like how? They're all supposed to work together as one, like a team. Rest his soul," said one woman who did not give her name. Baltimore resident Hamza Omar told WJZ, "They didn't get the ambulance or nothing, so definitely you've got to put a microscope on these people." The office said there is police body-worn camera video of the response. They have yet to identify the man or the officers. On May 12th, 26-year-old Jai Marc Howell was killed in a shootout with officers. Police released the body camera video of that incident. Council President Zeke Cohen calls for oversight hearings Late Friday, Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen called for hearings into how police and other city agencies handle behavioral health crises. Here is Cohen's full statement to WJZ: "Over the past week, three of our neighbors died during or after encounters with police while experiencing apparent behavioral health crises. These tragedies are a heartbreaking reminder that far too many Baltimoreans suffer in silence. Today, I am calling for a hearing in the City Council's Public Safety Committee to examine our behavioral health crisis response systems. As the first city in the nation to implement trauma-informed care legislation, Baltimore must continue to lead the way on how we address these issues. The City Council has fought for years to increase funding for Baltimore Crisis Response Inc. because we know that law enforcement alone cannot be expected to solve this problem. Now is the time for effective oversight to make sure all of our systems work together. We owe it to all Baltimoreans whose lives have been shattered in these moments of crisis to take action and get this right."
CBS News
18 hours ago
- CBS News
Family, community mourn woman killed by Baltimore police during mental health crisis call: "She Has a Name"
The death of 70-year-old Pytorcarcha Clark-Brooks, who was shot and killed by Baltimore police during a behavior crisis call, left a neighborhood in mourning, and her family demanding better mental health support and accountability. "She has a name," said her cousin, LaRae Taylor. "And her name is Pytorcarcha Clark-Brooks." Baltimore woman killed by police Clark-Brooks was killed on Wednesday, June 25, after police responded to her home on Mosher Street in West Baltimore. According to Police Commissioner Richard Worley, the woman lunged at officers with a knife twice – once after an officer fell to the ground – prompting a second officer to fire two shots that ultimately killed her. "In an attempt to de-escalate the situation and exit the house, the officer fell onto the floor," Worley said. "When he fell, the woman lunged at the officer on the floor with a knife. A second officer behind fired two shots, striking the woman." West Baltimore neighbors react Even before her name was released, residents were grieving the loss of Clark-Brooks. Janet Bailey, President of the Laburt Improvement Community Association, said she cried when she learned a 70-year-old woman had been killed by police – especially during a mental health emergency. "Even if you shot her," Bailey said. "Could she be shot in the leg or the foot, in the arm, in the shoulder where she had the knife and was coming down on y'all? Couldn't she have been shot in the shoulder? Did she have to be shot two times and killed? 70 years old…I'm saying, 70 years old." Bailey, who has lived in the neighborhood for decades, immediately began distributing flyers door-to-door in the summer heat. The flyers directed residents to local behavioral health services. "She has rights, too," Bailey said. "So, my prayers are with her and her family. I'm going to pass out these flyers today in the heat – come hell or high water, our people need to know." The flyers included information about the Tuerk House, a behavioral crisis center and urgent care facility just around the corner from where the shooting happened. Bailey also placed a sign at the intersection of Mosher and Ashburton that reads, "We mourn our loss." "Whether I knew her name or not, she's part of this community," Bailey said. Clark-Brooks' family speaks out One day later, WJZ learned the woman killed was Pytorcarcha Clark-Brooks — described by her family as a generous, loving soul who struggled with mental health but didn't deserve to die. Taylor said she first saw a headline about a 70-year-old woman shot during a mental health crisis, but didn't connect the story to her cousin. "I didn't even look at the street name," she said. "I just kept going about my day." It wasn't until relatives arrived at the scene and entered the home that they learned the truth: Their loved one had taken her final breath before the world even knew her name. Taylor returned to Mosher Street to collect some of Clark-Brooks' belongings as police wrapped up the scene. She shared photos showing the back door kicked in and blood at the base of the carpeted stairs. "We were able to walk in," she said. "And the smell, and the blood…it's something you'll never forget." Despite Clark-Brooks' documented history with mental illness, police said they had been called to the home more than 20 times. Taylor said her cousin was far more than a call log. "She would give to you," Taylor said. "She was a sister, a mother, a cousin. She wasn't just a 'mental person.' She was a human who loved." Taylor, who used to work at the Tuerk House for more than seven years, said she was moved by Bailey's decision to raise awareness in the community – not just to mourn, but to empower. "It's an awesome place, run by some awesome people," Taylor said. "And for the president of the community to come by and share awareness – putting awareness into action – that's it right there. It makes me feel like my cousin's death just won't be in vain." Investigation ongoing Clark-Brooks' body is currently at March Funeral Home as the family prepares for her homegoing service. The Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division (IID) is reviewing the officer-involved shooting, as required by state law. The IID has identified the involved Baltimore Police officers as Stephen Colbert, an eight-year veteran of the department, and Stephen Galewski, a three-year veteran, both with the patrol division. The family said they will not comment further until they've reviewed the police body-worn camera footage.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Baltimore resident says knife-wielding neighbor's death by police shooting was preventable
A West Baltimore community is seeking answers after a knife-wielding neighbor was shot and killed by police Wednesday afternoon. Police said a 70-year-old woman lunged at officers with a knife twice during a mental health crisis before she was tased and was then shot twice. She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Janet Bailey, the president of the Laburt Improvement Community Association, is advocating for mental health resources in the neighborhood. She said her neighbor's death was preventable. "Even if you shot her, could she be shot in the leg or the foot, in the arm, in the shoulder?" Bailey said. "Where she had the knife and was coming down on ya'll, couldn't she have been shot in the shoulder? Did she have to be shot two times and killed…70 years old…I'm saying 70 years old." Neighbor passes out mental health information Bailey is pushing to get her community some help to deal with mental health issues. She walked door-to-door and handed out information about the Tuerk House, which is a behavioral health and urgent care center in their neighborhood. Bailey passed out the flyers to honor her neighbor. "She has rights too, so my prayers are with her and her family," Bailey said. "I'm going to pass out these flyers today in the heat, come hell or high water. Our people need to know." Police: 70-year-old was shot twice by an officer Around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, police responded to the home in the 2700 block of Mosher Street, where they found a 70-year-old woman suffering from a behavioral health crisis. Police said the woman pulled out a knife, lunged at officers, including one who fell, and was then shot twice. Commissioner Richard Worley said officers attempted to take her into custody for her safety, but when she didn't comply with orders, she was tased and then shot. Worley said there have been more than 20 calls to the home this year, including for behavioral health crises. "I think this is a nationwide crisis with behavioral health crisis. Unfortunately, too many of them end up with the use of force," Worley said. "We've done an excellent job with training our officers, getting them to de-escalate these situations. Unfortunately, this one, they weren't able to de-escalate, and it ended in tragedy." Maryland's Attorney General's Office is investigating, which is the protocol for police shootings.
