After a 17-year-old was shot by police on Thursday, the teen’s aunt says officers have been harassing her nephew for some time.It happened around 1:30 p.m. Thursday near South Catherine Street and Frederick Avenue in southwest Baltimore. Police said the teen was shot while running away, and officers found he had a gun with an extended magazine.Cellphone video captured the chaos as police scrambled to restore order and preserve the crime scene. Angry residents lashed out at officers for shooting Mekhi Franklin, 17, in the back as he took off running.Franklin is an 11th grader known in the neighborhood as a quiet kid who didn’t cause trouble.”The police — they have been harassing my nephew and his friends,” said Mary Scott, Franklin’s aunt.Scott said officers from another police district have been riding around in a white SUV, jumping out and harassing kids.”Apparently, this had been going on for about four or five days. They kind of just, like, come through jumping out on the kids, sitting with them and different stuff like that,” she said.Scott provided video of one encounter that happened on Wednesday. She said on Thursday, Franklin was sitting on a stoop once again being questioned by police, and simply got tired of it.”He decided to leave. When he turned around to leave, that’s when the police were telling him like, ‘Stop, don’t go nowhere.’ So, he started running and the police shot at him nine times,” she said. One of those bullets hit him in the back. “He has a lot of internal damage. He lost a kidney, he lost his spleen and the bullet went through other organs in his body.”According to police, as a District Action Team officer sat on a stoop talking with a resident, they became interested in Franklin because he had “characteristics of an armed person.” They said he suddenly took off running. They did not say if the person on the stoop was Franklin.”We have a lot of body-worn camera footage to look at. We know he was running with a weapon. He basically ignored several commands to drop the weapon,” said Deputy Commissioner Richard Worley.Scott said the family doesn’t buy the police’s version of the story.”They say he had characteristics of an armed man. To me, characteristics of a person that’s armed would, first of all, not have you sitting next to them on the steps,” she said.Scott said police told her that a gun was recovered in Mekhi’s backpack as he was being placed in an ambulance. According to an anonymous witness, Franklin was able to speak at that time.”The young guy, he said, ‘Mom, I’m OK,'” said the witness.Family members said the surgery took five hours. They complained that they aren’t allowed to visit him. “I’m so blessed that my nephew is still alive. But he’s a child and he has to live with this the rest of his life. And it is going to be a long road to recovery,” Scott said.The family said they have been contacted by attorney Ben Crump, who has agreed to represent them free of charge.
After a 17-year-old was shot by police on Thursday, the teen’s aunt says officers have been harassing her nephew for some time.
It happened around 1:30 p.m. Thursday near South Catherine Street and Frederick Avenue in southwest Baltimore. Police said the teen was shot while running away, and officers found he had a gun with an extended magazine.
Cellphone video captured the chaos as police scrambled to restore order and preserve the crime scene. Angry residents lashed out at officers for shooting Mekhi Franklin, 17, in the back as he took off running.
Franklin is an 11th grader known in the neighborhood as a quiet kid who didn’t cause trouble.
“The police — they have been harassing my nephew and his friends,” said Mary Scott, Franklin’s aunt.
Scott said officers from another police district have been riding around in a white SUV, jumping out and harassing kids.
“Apparently, this had been going on for about four or five days. They kind of just, like, come through jumping out on the kids, sitting with them and different stuff like that,” she said.
Scott provided video of one encounter that happened on Wednesday. She said on Thursday, Franklin was sitting on a stoop once again being questioned by police, and simply got tired of it.
“He decided to leave. When he turned around to leave, that’s when the police were telling him like, ‘Stop, don’t go nowhere.’ So, he started running and the police shot at him nine times,” she said. One of those bullets hit him in the back. “He has a lot of internal damage. He lost a kidney, he lost his spleen and the bullet went through other organs in his body.”
According to police, as a District Action Team officer sat on a stoop talking with a resident, they became interested in Franklin because he had “characteristics of an armed person.” They said he suddenly took off running. They did not say if the person on the stoop was Franklin.
“We have a lot of body-worn camera footage to look at. We know he was running with a weapon. He basically ignored several commands to drop the weapon,” said Deputy Commissioner Richard Worley.
Scott said the family doesn’t buy the police’s version of the story.
“They say he had characteristics of an armed man. To me, characteristics of a person that’s armed would, first of all, not have you sitting next to them on the steps,” she said.
Scott said police told her that a gun was recovered in Mekhi’s backpack as he was being placed in an ambulance. According to an anonymous witness, Franklin was able to speak at that time.
“The young guy, he said, ‘Mom, I’m OK,'” said the witness.
Family members said the surgery took five hours. They complained that they aren’t allowed to visit him.
“I’m so blessed that my nephew is still alive. But he’s a child and he has to live with this the rest of his life. And it is going to be a long road to recovery,” Scott said.
The family said they have been contacted by attorney Ben Crump, who has agreed to represent them free of charge.
