Man's interactions with police increasingly became dangerous
The man accused of shooting police Officer Michael Rice on Friday night had increasingly dangerous interactions with police, court records show.
In 2008, according to court records, 23-year-old Gerry Gough was stopped in North Baltimore and struggled with officers, who eventually recovered baggies of marijuana. A year later, he was at a Northwest Baltimore bus stop when detectives saw the outline of a handgun in his pants and chased him.
Gough told police in a debriefing after that arrest that he carried a weapon for protection and knew how to get more – his cell phone wallpaper even displayed an image of him clutching a weapon, court records show. But he received just six months in jail from a District Court judge.
District Court Judge Barbara Waxman sentenced Gough to six months in that case, and ordered him to pay a $300 fine. He never paid and was ordered to serve another three days in jail. We've placed a call to Waxman to find out more about the case.
Police say on Friday, Gough didn’t wait for police to approach him.
Rice, a war veteran who was shot during overseas combat, was struck in the neck, and the bullet lodged near one of his lungs. Officers returned fire and wounded Gough, who according to one law enforcement source is paralyzed from the waist down from his injuries.
City officials have been pushing statistics that show the average amount of jail time served by misdemeanor gun offenders – like Gough – is just four months, and 82 percent of jail time imposed by the court system for gun offenders was suspended.
Rawlings-Blake has endorsed legislation that would set a mandatory minimum sentence of 18 months and a maximum sentence of 10 years for those people arrested with an illegal, loaded firearm. But legislators appear to have reservations about the legislation.
“We’re hopeful that people all across the state say here is something we can do to make our community instantly safer from these maniacs with guns who are running around,” Bealefeld said. “These men and women are out there risking their lives … willing to suffer any hazard to make this city safer.”
Categories: Courts and the justice system, East Baltimore, Northeast Baltimore
Comments
What do they mean that Gough didn't wait? Was Undercover Rice shot in the unmarked car or out of it?
You may want to give Gough a call or visit in the hospital and see if he knew Rice was a policeman. This may have been another Officer Torbit situation. (or, more precisely an Officer Uhler situation -- GOOGLE him and watch his technique).
Wasn't Baltimore supposed to get rid of UCs after Torbit anyway?
Posted by: Atticus Finch | March 22, 2011 5:52 AM
I'm so glad that you're pushing the judge for answers and holding these people accountable for allowing these violent people to roam the streets with impunity. Please continue to put pressure on these judges!
Posted by: Anonymous | March 22, 2011 9:21 AM
To Atticus Finch, if you would have been following the story from the begining, and not just making spot judgement comments, it was stated that Rice when he exited his vehicle was wearing a vets with "POLICE" clearly marked on the front. Also know the difference between uc and plain clothes. Might have to do more research than law and order while you sit around and watch tv.
Posted by: Anonymous | March 22, 2011 2:09 PM