Three 14-Year-Olds Arrested After Striking Baltimore Officer with Stolen Vehicle

BALTIMORE, Md. — Three teenagers, all aged 14, were taken into custody this week following an incident in which a Baltimore Police officer was struck by a stolen vehicle. This incident prompted the officer to discharge his weapon, as reported by the Baltimore Police Department.

The event unfolded early Sunday morning at approximately 12:05 a.m. when Officer William Cole responded to a report of armed individuals breaking into a residence on the 800 block of West Lombard Street. Upon arrival, Officer Cole observed a Kia sedan with several occupants inside.

According to police, the driver of the Kia reversed the vehicle, colliding with a parked car. Video footage released by the department shows Officer Cole exiting his patrol car and approaching the Kia while issuing commands for the occupants to vacate the vehicle.

In a subsequent maneuver, the Kia reversed again, striking Officer Cole and injuring his ankle. In response, Officer Cole discharged his firearm once at the vehicle, which then fled the scene, hitting both his patrol car and another parked vehicle as it did so.

Shortly thereafter, a man approached Officer Cole from across the street, claiming he had been injured and stating, “I got set up,” before collapsing. The connection between this individual’s injuries and the earlier incident remains unclear.

Law enforcement later located the abandoned Kia on the 100 block of South Arlington Avenue, where it had struck another parked vehicle. The Kia had been reported stolen the previous day.

Using electronic monitoring data, police identified two 14-year-old boys who were allegedly inside the Kia during the incident. Both boys had prior charges related to robbery and auto theft and were arrested on Monday.

The following day, officers arrested a 14-year-old girl believed to be the driver of the Kia. She was found to have a graze wound on her wrist, which was treated at a hospital. Investigators suspect this injury may have resulted from Officer Cole's gunfire.

The girl has been charged with aggravated assault and auto theft, while the two boys face similar charges. They are currently in juvenile detention.

Officer Cole received treatment for his ankle injury and has since been released from the hospital. A police spokesperson noted that the incident will not be classified as a shooting until it is confirmed that the girl's injury was caused by Officer Cole's discharge of his weapon.

Reported by HarborBeat based on Police1 (source).