Baltimore prosecutors have dropped attempted murder charges against a 28-year-old man accused of initiating a movie-worthy shootout and car chase with three detectives in August in East Baltimore.
Prosecutors never sought an indictment. Instead, on May 5, they offered Wayne Brown of the 4100 block of Chatford Ave. a plea to time served for stealing a car, a misdemeanor, after homicide detectives and prosecutors uncovered a host of problems, according to Brown's attorney.
According to charging documents, three undercover detectives in the Violent Crimes Impact Division noticed a 1991 Lincoln Town Car in the 1700 block of Bradford St. that "appeared to get their attention." As the officers moved to stop the car, the driver took off, leading police for more than two miles into the Montebello neighborhood near Baltimore City College.
There, police allege, the driver of the Town Car rammed the detectives' unmarked Hyundai Entourage and began firing shots. Detectives returned fire.
Next, according to the charging document, the Town Car slammed into an MTA bus and attempted to run over the detectives, who began firing again. The Town Car turned onto the 1600 block of Gorsuch Ave. and struck another car before the driver bailed out on foot, eluding Detectives Antwyne Jones, Calvin Moss and Austin Sailor.
An unidentified witness later gave homicide detectives Brown's name. His DNA was matched to a small amount of blood found in the Town Car.
Defense attorney Margaret Mead said the investigation had a litany of flaws. Among them: There was no justification for the initial stop; no damage to the officers' car; and there were no shell casings or bullets recovered - other than from officers' weapons - from the area where police allege Brown opened fire. "There's just nothing to substantiate a mutual shootout," Mead said.
