At a rally today, relatives of Bilal “BJ” Yusuf-Muhammad Abdullah Jr. said they are moving ahead with a civil lawsuit against the Baltimore police officers who shot and killed the well‑known arabber near the Upton Metro Station on June 17, 2025. Abdullah, 36, died after officers and investigators say he drew a firearm during a brief foot chase, and one officer was wounded in the foot. The family says the state’s decision not to bring criminal charges has left them with no other path, and they now intend to seek accountability in civil court.
Family plans suit, urges criminal review
According to CBS Baltimore, the family’s attorney said a civil complaint is being filed today and urged the Maryland Office of the Attorney General to reconsider its earlier decision not to pursue criminal charges. Relatives at the rally described Abdullah as a familiar neighborhood presence and spoke bluntly about their loss. “My brother did not deserve this,” Najla Abdullah said, while Joy Abdullah added, “It really damaged our family,” per CBS.
Investigators' findings
The Maryland Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division completed its review in December and declined to prosecute the officers involved. In a public declination report, the IID lays out a detailed forensic timeline and ballistics breakdown. Investigators say officers responded to a tip about a man carrying a concealed handgun near Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street, that Abdullah fired at least three rounds, and that three officers returned fire with at least 35 rounds in total, eight by Detective Omar Rodriguez, 12 by Detective Devin Yancey and 15 by Officer Ashley Negron. The Maryland Attorney General’s office posts the full report and its legal analysis.
Bodycam footage and local reaction
Police later released body‑worn camera footage from the June encounter. Early department statements said officers fired 38 rounds while Abdullah fired three, and the video shows a chaotic exchange of gunfire followed by a crowd gathering around the wounded man. Coverage of the footage and subsequent rallies captured the depth of grief over Abdullah’s death. They raised persistent questions about officers’ tactics, the exact sequence of events, and how long it took police to render medical aid, as reported by WYPR and Baltimore Beat.
Officer named in another recent shooting
Detective Omar Rodriguez, one of the officers identified in the Abdullah case, was also named by the Maryland Attorney General as a subject officer in the February 24 fatal shooting of Dwight Hawkins. That incident is also under IID review, according to the Maryland OAG. WBAL coverage of the Hawkins shooting noted community concern over the encounter and renewed calls for transparency from both the department and state investigators.
Legal implications
The IID’s job is to determine potential criminal liability, not civil responsibility, so a decision not to prosecute does not block a family from filing a civil case. The declination report itself notes that it does not resolve any civil claims. Civil lawsuits generally proceed under the lower “preponderance of the evidence” standard, compared with the criminal requirement of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt,” a distinction outlined by the Legal Information Institute. That legal gap helps explain why families often turn to civil courts after prosecutors decline to bring charges.
Attorneys for Abdullah’s family say the complaint will be filed this week, and community organizers at the rally vowed to keep pressing for answers as the case moves from the streets into the courtroom.
