Murders this Week: 1

Murders this Year: 183

The man shot to death at the intersection of Moreland Avenue and Presbury Street on Nov. 14 has been identified as Steven Pennington, a 32-year-old African-American man.

There was a fatal police-involved shooting, the fifth this year. An officer was called to the intersection of Edmondson Avenue and Denison Street in Edmondson Village at 8:56 a.m. on Nov. 23 because there was an armed man there. When the officer arrived, she saw Anthony Stoakley, a 52-year-old African-American man, brandishing two large kitchen knives. The officer told Stoakley to drop the knives, he allegedly refused, and the officer shot him in the stomach. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died. As of press time, police had not released the officer’s name.

With only one homicide this week, there were 20 fewer murders in Baltimore as of Nov. 28 than at the same time last year. Baltimore City’s per capita murder rate has decreased dramatically in recent years. In 2007, for example, the city ended the year with a homicide rate of 44 per 100,000 residents compared to the current rate of 29 out of 100,000. There would have to be nearly 100 homicides in December to match the 2007 numbers. Still, the homicide rate remains high compared to neighboring cities. Philadelphia’s per capita homicide rate is 20 per 100,000, and Washington, D.C.’s is 17 per 100,000.

Nov. 21

7:42 a.m. Tavon Toney, a 25-year-old African-American man, was in the 900 block of West Franklin Street when he was robbed of his watch, money, and cell phone and then shot in the head. Police received a description of the shooter and found someone matching that description a few blocks away in the 900 block of Harlem Avenue. Jerome Burgess, a 19-year-old African-American man, was arrested and charged with attempted murder, assault, armed robbery, and related charges. Toney was taken to an area hospital, where he died the next morning. As of press time, Burgess’ charges had not been updated to murder. This is the second fatal shooting in Harlem Park in six days.

Update

On Nov. 23, Michael Hunter, a 21-year-old African-American man, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the murder of Charles Bowman Sr., a 72-year-old African-American man. Hunter and Troy Taylor, a 20-year-old African-American man, robbed Bowman and two other customers at the Yau Bros. carryout at the corner of 29th Street and Greenmount Avenue on April 8, 2010. Hunter shot Bowman in the chest during the robbery. A total of $13 was taken. A Vietnam veteran, Bowman often got food at Yau Bros. on his way to his job as night security guard at the Baltimore Afro American newspaper. Taylor pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other charges and was sentenced to 35 years in prison on April 11.

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