Handgun Violations

Dontee D. Stokes, who admitted shooting a Roman Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulting him nearly a decade ago, was acquitted last night of attempted murder in a Baltimore trial that drew national attention amid the church's unfolding sex scandal. The jury of 11 women and one man took about eight hours to find Stokes, a 26-year-old West Baltimore barber, not guilty of attempted murder and five other counts that could have sent him to prison for life. Jurors did, however, convict Stokes of three lesser handgun charges, which most likely will bring a sentence of probation.

An 18-year-old man was convicted of felony murder yesterday in the killing of a father of five who was shot as he tried to flee during a robbery last year in Essex. Robert J. Pittman of the 1600 block of Eastern Ave. also was convicted in Baltimore County Circuit Court of attempted armed robbery and a handgun violation. The jury of eight men and four women deliberated about three hours. Pittman showed no emotion as the verdict was announced, but clutched a Bible that he kept throughout the trial and began to cry as he was escorted from the courtroom by sheriff's deputies.

Police arrested an Annapolis man and charged him yesterday with attempted murder in connection with a Christmas Eve shooting in the city, police said. Delmar Marquis Turner, 22, of 79 Clay St., was arrested about 5:20 a.m. at his home, where, police said, they found a .45-caliber handgun. He was charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault and handgun violations. Clarence Wright, 19, was shot several times Saturday while in the area of 46 College Creek Terrace. Police said Wright identified Turner in a photo lineup as the shooter.

Baltimore police and federal drug enforcement agents arrested a woman and seized $50,000 worth of narcotics and two semiautomatic handguns from her residence in the 1800 block of Hope St. in East Baltimore yesterday.Scott Rowe, a police spokesman, said members of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area unit were conducting a handgun investigation at the house when they found drugs.Rowe said Victoria Allen, 29, a resident of the house, was charged with narcotics and handgun violations and was being held last night pending a bail review hearing.

Two Baltimore men were found guilty yesterday by a city jury of shooting a man eight times in East Baltimore's O'Donnell Heights neighborhood. The victim, Michael Newman, survived the attack. Rashad Ingram, 23, of the 1400 block of Curie Way and Terrance Rosber, 21, of the 1400 block of Mosander Way were found guilty of attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and handgun violations. The shooting occurred June 2 last year after the three men argued, prosecutors said.

Seventeen people were arrested overnight on drug possession and handgun charges as city police from Western District's Drug Enforcement Unit conducted "Operation Zebra."Police said 15 people were charged with drug possession and two others were charged with handgun violations.Those arrested were being held at the Western District today awaiting bail hearings.The exact locations of the raids were not released, but they were said to be throughout the district, which includes areas between Fremont Avenue and Poplar Grove Street.

Anne Arundel County police arrested a 31-year-old Baltimore man yesterday in connection with a double shooting Friday in Glen Burnie. Shawn James Sullivan, 31, of the 4100 block of Grace Court was charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault and several handgun violations, police said. Police said the shooting followed a fight involving Matthew William Stumpf, 30, of Glen Burnie. Stumpf was in critical condition yesterday at Maryland Shock Trauma Center. The other victim, John Edward Gilchrest, 32, of Glen Burnie, was treated and released.

A Baltimore City Circuit Court jury convicted a 36-year-old man of first-degree assault and multiple handgun violations for shooting a man in Southwest Baltimore in 2011, the Baltimore City State's Attorney said Friday. Prosecutors say Stanley Brunson shot two victims on Dec. 19, 2011, one of whom survived. They believe Brunson killed the first victim in his effort to shoot the second. He was acquitted of a first-degree murder charge. Brunson is scheduled for sentencing in May and faces up to 53 years in prison, including a mandatory minimum of five years without the possibility of parole.

The Baltimore police officer who shot and wounded a man Monday night has been identified as Jonathan Riker, 28, who has been on the force three years, a city police spokesman said. Riker is assigned to the Northwestern District's drug enforcement unit. Police said the man wounded in the left shoulder is a 37-year-old Baltimorean with a long arrest record. He has been charged in a warrant with drug and handgun violations, but police have not released his name pending formal charges after his release from Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

Baltimore police seized handguns and made arrests as the city again this year cracked down on the infamous tradition of celebrating the new year by firing a gun. "We were out and about citywide focusing on handgun violations and arresting those firing indiscriminately in the air at midnight," said police spokeswoman Ragina C. Averella. City police confiscated more than 70 handguns and made at least 50 firearms arrests from the late hours of New Year's Eve through the early morning of New Year's Day, Averella said.