Baltimore police can't seem to get a break.
Just as they bask in 25-year lows in violent crime, including homicide numbers not seen for decades, the New Year opened with three killings, including that of a youth and of an autistic man shot as he took his dog for a walk.
The victim, Hezikah Wilson III, was the 38-year-old brother of a Baltimore police officer who patrols one of the most dangerous sections of the city -- West Baltimore. The victim's brothers are at left, in a picture by The Sun's Gene Sweeney Jr. Frankie Wilson, a 15-year veteran of the city police force, is on the left and, and Archie Wilson Jr. is at right.
News of the death and the circumstances came as the mayor and police commissioner addressed the media to talk about the crime drops and their plans for the coming year, including pushing Annapolis once again for tougher laws on guns.
The Sun's Justin Fenton wrote:
Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III told me while riding around the city in the opening hours of 2011 that this was a "new day" and a new "sheriff is in town," referring to new State's Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein.
The opening hours left the city facing an old problem, and once again trying to promote the good numbers even as people like Hezikah Wilson get gunned down while taking the family dog for a walk.