The city of Baltimore is in mourning over the fatal police shooting of an arabber known in the community as Bilal "BJ" Abdullah Jr. WBAL-TV reported that Abdullah was a familiar face among the arabbers. These vendors sell fresh produce from horse-drawn wagons. "He was just a legend around here. Everybody knew him. He was a real Baltimore legend," said Brittany, a friend of the deceased.
On Tuesday, the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division reported an incident involving Abdullah and city police near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street. Abdullah was believed to be armed and attempted to flee from an unmarked police vehicle, according to the report. During the confrontation, a gun went off, and officers fired at Abdullah multiple times, resulting in his death at Shock Trauma, CBS News Baltimore detailed.
The incident also resulted in a police officer being shot in the foot. "A man ran from officers, and a brief truffle ensued," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley told CBS News Baltimore. "At some point, the male broke away, multiple officers returned fire, striking the man." The officer who was injured has since been released from the hospital following surgery. The body camera footage of the encounter is expected to be released by the Baltimore Police Department in line with its policies.
