Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley has vocalized his support for an officer captured on body camera footage with his gun pressed to the temple of a 24-year-old man, who was being restrained on the ground. The incident, which unfolded in May in the 1500 block of Washington Street, involved Jaemaun Joyner—initially believed by police to be an armed robbery suspect—struggling as officers tried to handcuff him. According to CBS Baltimore, charging documents indicated officers thought Joyner was reaching for something.

Worley, speaking at a press conference, said the officer in question was "scared" and "fighting for your life 'cause you don't know what he's going to do." Defending the reviled officer, Worley claimed he understood the high-stress circumstances the officer found himself in. Meanwhile, Attorney Tony Garcia, representing Joyner stated, as reported by CBS Baltimore, "My client is 5'7, he's not 6 feet," shedding light on disparities between Joyner and the description of the armed robbery suspect. Garcia contends that the officer's response was not just excessive but "brutal."

The dramatic body camera footage, now at the heart of this controversy, shows Joyner attempting to escape before he was brought down by police. Officers can be heard cautioning him not to reach for anything as Joyner questions, "What'd you just put in my pocket?" Despite the gravity of the charges he faced, originating from a supposed armed robbery and the alleged possession of a loaded handgun as indicated in the charging documents, Joyner's charges were dropped just days before the commencement of what was supposed to be his trial. As reported by CBS Baltimore, this decision came after Joyner spent more than 50 nights in incarceration.

According to Fox Baltimore, the defense arguing on behalf of Joyner, has also characterized the police action as an "act of terrorism on a human being," a choice phrase that Tony Garcia shared in an interview. While the incident remains under investigation, Joyner's attorneys are now contemplating a civil suit amidst the unfolding narrative of this jarring clash between an individual and the apparatus of law enforcement.