BALTIMORE, Maryland — In a disturbing viral video obtained by Math City Times, courtesy of Slick Brown and Storyful News & Weather, a Baltimore Police Department Officer is seen attempting to strike a man with his patrol car.
“Yeah, what’s your reason to stop him?” asks the first speaker at the beginning of the video, “You ain’t even got no reason to stop him, bro.”
Events escalated as the Officer Parks entered the driver’s seat of his car, shut the door, and revved his engine, racing his cruiser into an alleyway and across a grassy patch in a clear and present attempt to ram one of the video’s subjects.
“Hey, yo, what the fuck?” says the speaker filming the video, “You going to hit him with the car? Yo, what the fuck, bro?”
The officer reversed his cruiser and chased the young Black man down a Baltimore street. He used parked vehicles to shield himself before being cut off in an alleyway behind what appeared to be residential buildings once more. Engine hot, Officer Robert A. Parks slammed down on the gas and attempted to ram the youth again, before colliding with debris in the alley and jumping out of his patrol car.
“You crashing out and all that!” continues the speaker, “What the fuck? Dude really try and hit bro with the car and all that. Oh, hell no!”
Robert A. Parks, who has been on the force since 2020, is the officer under investigation, as confirmed via John Fenton of The Baltimore Banner, according to a statement by Baltimore PD Spokesperson Lindsey Eldridge.
Baltimore PD’s official statement, obtained via twitter, is featured below:
Baltimore Police statement on the actions of Officer Robert A. Parks. Obtained via Baltimore PD’s Twitter account.
In addition to statements from Baltimore PD, Mayor Brandon Scott left a comment on this incident, as reported by Ellie Buckheit of Fox45 News Baltimore, stating:
“The contents of the video are deeply concerning. The officer in question has been suspended and the situation is under investigation. This investigation will be thorough, in accordance with all laws and regulations, to ensure proper accountability.” - Mayor Brandon Scott.
Maryland State Attorney Ivan J. Bates also issued a statement, featured below:
As of Thursday October 30th, Baltimore PD have confirmed the suspension of officer Robert A. Parks. Court records show Parks listed as an arresting officer in more than a dozen active cases.
Internal affairs division head Brian Nadeau said, according to The Baltimore Banner’s Justin Fenton, that “the unit started a case on the officer within 16 hours of the incident and immediately suspended his police powers.”
“While Bredar broadly cheered the agency’s progress on internal investigations and reform, the public defenders said such incidents were ‘undermining the consent decree’s goals and enabling officers with credibility issues to operate in the shadows.’” - Justin Fenton.
Baltimore Police union president Mike Mancuso did not respond to our request for comment in time for publication.
Citizens of Baltimore, as well as interested parties across the country, are calling for the officer to be terminated rather than suspended. Residents are already calling for Officer Parks to face trial.
