A 16-year-old Baltimore defendant accused in a fatal Harman Avenue shooting turned down a plea deal that would have left him facing decades behind bars, as prosecutors laid out a case involving three alleged attackers and a gunshot to the head. The decision came during a Friday court hearing that also put a separate East Baltimore store killing back in the spotlight.
William Pittman Jr., 16, is accused alongside Devin Shandle, 23, and Bernard Brown, 52, in the killing of Davon Smallwood. According to Baltimore Witness, prosecutors say surveillance footage showed three people pulling Smallwood from his car, assaulting him and then shooting him.
Baltimore police responded to the 1900 block of Harman Avenue on December 10, 2025, after a reported shooting and found a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. The Baltimore Police Department later announced that a suspect had been arrested and charged in connection with Smallwood's death.
At reception court before Judge Melissa K. Copeland, Pittman was offered a sentence of life imprisonment with all but 60 years suspended, along with the possibility of parole after five years, Baltimore Witness reported. Pittman rejected the offer through his attorneys, and his case is being transferred from juvenile court; a motion hearing is scheduled for November 23, with a trial expected November 29.
Separate Broadway Mart Killing Also Moves Through Court
The same court report highlighted the case of Brian Burrows, 52, who is accused of killing cashier Khaled Mohamed Alsharki during a February robbery at Broadway Mart on North Broadway. WBAL NewsRadio reported that Burrows faces a first-degree murder charge and additional allegations tied to an armed robbery days later.
Surveillance video reviewed by CBS Baltimore showed a man entering the store, shooting Alsharki once and taking money from the cash register before leaving. Burrows has a joinder motion hearing scheduled for October 5, and his trial date is expected to be set afterward.
All three defendants in the Harman Avenue case and Burrows remain accused, and the allegations have not been proven in court. The upcoming hearings will determine how the cases proceed as prosecutors continue pursuing murder and related charges.
