Baltimore police announced yesterday the arrest of a suspect in the near-fatal shooting of an off-duty officer this month and said detectives are looking for a second man.
Collin Hawkins, 24, has been charged with first-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and two handgun violations, police said. Hawkins was identified in a photo array by the officer who was shot, Momodu Gondo, according to court documents.
The shooting occurred just after midnight Dec. 5 when Gondo, 23, was getting out of his car at his home in the 5700 block of The Alameda. Two men approached the officer, and Hawkins is suspected of pointing a gun at him, court documents say.
Officer shot back
The officer turned to flee, and Hawkins opened fire, striking him three times in the back, according to the documents. Police spokesman Matt Jablow said Gondo returned fire before he fell to the ground.
Gondo was rushed to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was in serious condition last night and stable, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Gondo, who graduated from the police academy in October, was wearing his police uniform and protective vest under an overcoat when he was shot.
Public plea
Police made a public plea last week for information about the case. They said a tipster had called twice with information about the shooting but had hung up before detectives could finish their interview.
Jablow, the police spokesman, said the tipster's information did not lead to Tuesday's arrest.
Jablow said Hawkins was being detained at the Central Booking and Intake Center on a handgun charge when he was charged late Tuesday.
Hawkins lives in the 6000 block of Moravia Park Drive, near Interstate 895 in the Pulaski industrial area. He has a lengthy criminal record that includes five drug-related convictions over the past five years and a carjacking charge last month.
The carjacking occurred a few blocks from where Gondo was shot.
annie.linskey@baltsun.com
Sun reporter Richard Irwin contributed to this article.