Leads sought in Federal Hill melee

Three people stabbed after early-morning argument leads to fight, city police say

By Gus S. Sentementes | Sun reporter

May 21, 2008

Baltimore police said yesterday that they are seeking witnesses to a melee early Sunday in Federal Hill that left three people stabbed, including a man who authorities said tried to break up the fight and is still recovering at Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

Southern District Detective William Bailey said he is trying to piece together the details of the brawl, which apparently started with an argument about 2 a.m. at Light and West streets, just as hundreds of people were spilling out of neighborhood bars and restaurants.

"Anybody who might've seen the vehicle, who was sober enough to give me a good description, please call me," Bailey said.

One of the victims wrote an account of the attack in an e-mail distributed throughout the Federal Hill community. A police spokesman described her account as largely accurate but said investigators believe the altercation began during a dispute and was not a random attack, as characterized in the e-mail.

"I have a bloody ear, elbows, knees and multiple bruises throughout my body," the 27-year-old woman said in the e-mail. "I had actual footprints on my back from where they were kicking me. Everything hurts, a lot."

The e-mail says the woman, her brother and their cousin saw a car hit a Maryland Transit Administration bus at Light and West streets. The driver tried to speed away, but people were yelling at her to stop. The e-mail writer said her group crossed the street to a friend's house, but the street was blocked by another group of people fighting on William Street.

They turned around and walked by the apparent accident scene, where, she said in the e-mail, her cousin yelled at the driver of the sedan. "A female passenger got out of the dark sedan and rushed at us," she wrote. The fight ended on nearby Gittings Street, leaving her injured, and her cousin, brother and another man who came to help stabbed.

A police report made public yesterday says that one of the victims had yelled into the sedan, "Hey, what are you doing?" starting the fight. The man who tried to help told police that he was sleeping in his living room when he heard the fight and went outside to see what was happening. Police said he was stabbed at least once with a knife or an icepick.

Police said they have two different descriptions of the sedan and that they have been unable to confirm an accident involving an MTA bus.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Southern District at 410-396-2504.

gus.sentementes@baltsun.com

E-mail

Reprint

Get home delivery of The Sun and save over 50% off the newsstand price


My Maryland Submit photos from around the state and view those from other readers Also see: Charm Cityscapes Reader videos \| Talk forums \| Trivia quizzes

Leads sought in Federal Hill melee

Three people stabbed after early-morning argument leads to fight, city police say

Related topic galleries: Federal Hill

Maryland gas watch

Popular stories: Maryland News

Watchdog archive