A 23-year-old Baltimore man who acted injured after dropping a gun at the corner of Pennsylvania and W. North avenues — causing some bystanders to believe he had been shot by police — has been indicted in federal court, according to the office of Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.
Robert "Meech" Tucker was indicted Thursday by a grand jury for being a felon in possession of a gun, Rosenstein's office said Friday.
The incident occurred May 4, one week after rioting and looting had erupted at the same intersection and as the city continued to simmer over the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who suffered a severe spinal cord while in police custody and whose death April 19 had stirred protests against police brutality.
Police on patrol in the area spotted Tucker "displaying characteristics of an armed gunman" in a crowd on the corner and approached him, Rosenstein's office said.
Tucker ran and allegedly threw his Ruger Blackhawk .357 handgun to the ground, causing it to discharge, Rosenstein's office said.
When police caught up to him, Tucker "repeatedly screamed as if he had been injured," but he wasn't injured, Rosenstein's office said.
Still, bystanders thought he had been shot by police, and began throwing bricks and bottles at officers, Rosenstein's office said. The incident was also incorrectly reported as a police shooting by a national news outlet before being corrected.
"Police officers save lives when they detect, investigate and arrest armed criminals, and we are thankful for their proactive work," Rosenstein said in a statement. "People who throw bricks and bottles at police officers should be arrested and go to jail, just as they would if they attacked any other human being."
Tucker faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He had previously been charged in state court in the incident, and is already in state custody.
A public defender assigned to represent Tucker in the state court case related to the incident could not be reached for comment.
Online court records show Tucker was found guilty on a drug charge and sentenced to two years in prison in 2012. He is also due in court next month on a first-degree assault charge from an incident in March and a dirt bike charge from an incident in January.
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