Murder in the first dropped in July Fourth stabbing

Second-degree murder charge stands

The first degree murder charge has been dropped in the case of the Fourth of July Inner Harbor stabbing, according to court records. A charge of second-degree murder and a count of possession of a dangerous weapon with the intent to injure are still being brought, records show.

Marcus Sterlin Harris, 32, turned himself in and was charged with first degree murder in connection with the fatal July 4 stabbing of 26-year-old Joseph Lorenzo Calo, who had been in town from Alabama visiting family.

"He shouldn't have been charged with first degree murder in the first place," said Margaret Mead, Harris' attorney. "This man was defending himself."

Both men were involved in a shoving match outside McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant on Pier 6, police said. Calo was later stabbed in the neck with a broken bottle.

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Sun reporters Jessica Anderson and Arthur Hirsch contributed to this article.