Met him a few times good guy, but thats your typical baltimore police attitude shoot first then ask questions later. big bad scary pellet gun gonna getcha eh , cant wait to see the lame excuse they have this time

So... was it his home? Was he living there? Why hasn't residence been established, it would seem to be most important detail.

While the state still carries it's archaic laws against "open carry", I wasn't aware that you could not carry in your own domicile.

Stephanie Elliott Wilson and Jeff Chance are setting up a memorial fund for Steve Mach. Donations can be made to Jeff and Stephanie via PayPal using Duchess627@aol.com We just want to be able to get his body to the funeral home for cremation and that costs a lot of money, and we - all of us - are the only family Steve had left. Thank you very much ♥

Moral of the story: Don't point any weapons at the police, and if they show up, put down any weapons immediately. The police did what they are trained to do.

He was a 52 y/o ADULT... what was he doing with a pellet gun? If he knew the police were present, then he should have dropped it... NO, I am not justifying the tragic loss, however Police have to think about their lives as well. It is sad on BOTH ends.

Really James????.........now the police are supposed to be able to magically determine if a gun is real or not in a moments notice???? It's funny how biased people's thinking becomes when it involves anything police related.

@ James N, Would you rather the cop get shot than a "potential" shooter? How would you have reacted had you been on the pointed end of a gun? Be real now.

I do not blame the police one bit for shooting a person who refused to put down a gun. Real or fake, it's COMMON SENSE. When the police tell you to PUT THE WEAPON DOWN, you comply. Especially if you know your gun is fake.

A pellet gun? Good grief, are they going to shoot kids next for having a water gun?

Is this inept officer is on the rolls? Maybe it is time to clean house of the higher up officers who are responsible for up to date and training and certification.

Good luck in anyone actually receiving the truth in this case. The officer legally has somewhere between 14-30(unsure of exact law) days before having to submit the paperwork concerning this incident. Plenty of time to craft a fake excuse and blame the victim.

seriously? have you seen the way pellet guns looks now? they look identical to the real thing. action is quicker than reaction. what reason did he have for holding a pellet gun on the street? FYI, pellet guns cannot be legally discharged in Balt City.

James- How can they tell its a pellet gun? Have you never seen pellet guns or even toy guns that look real? Are they supposed to risk their lives and walk up close and ask to see what model of gun it is, and then say, "oh its ok its just a pellet gun?" What if it was a real gun and when he turned he was able to squeeze off a round or two before police killed him?

No matter what the police cannot do right. If they didnt shoot, and a person like this happened to kill someone..the police get crucified. If they do shoot because they see a realistic weapon, they get crucified. Things happen in split seconds. Obviously other people thought it was a real gun if they made the phone call.

The police acted appropriately here. How are they to know weather the "gun" is real or a pellet gun? They all look the same. Bravo BPD!

James - He was shot in Brooklyn. Not Baltimore.....

It said he was shot in Brooklyn, NOT Baltimore. It wasn't the Baltimore police.

This sickens me. Unbelievable.

Unfortunately, there are so many guns on the streets of Baltimore, the police really have no choice but to shoot first and ask questions later. That's the situation created by our lack of sufficient restrictions on hand guns.

If your stupid enough to turn and point a gun at someone; much less a cop then you deserve to be shot at. Would you take the chance of someone possibly shooting you; I wouldnt.

I remember when I lived in Baltimore years ago and all the cops thought they were God. I wonder if you can still find them taking turns sleeping at the entrance to Patterson Park near Gen. Polaski's monument one corner of Eastern and Linwood Avenue. And if it's still open, you can also find them sleeping in their cars behind the Little Tavern one Conkling Street.

Tell me...real gun or fake gun?
http://shortyusa.com/index.html?RID=4328

http://www.bbgunworld.com/store/item111.htm

http://airgun-academy.pyramydair.com/blog/tag/bb-gun/page/2/

THEY ARE ALL BB GUNS and in Baltimore or ANYWHERE ELSE if you point one at a cop, you are probably going to get shot. I am sorry this man is dead, but sometimes people do stuff like this for the oddest reasons. Ever heard of "Suicide by Cop"?

Of course, instead of trying to understand the situation, it is just easier to blame the police.

Steve was my brother's best friend. I've known him my entire life. While he had an eccentric sense of humor, he was a peaceful man with a terrific soul - and he loved his cats. He had the courage the pursue his dreams. I will always admire him for that. Like the other commenter, I wish that the police had been more deliberate in their handling of this tragic situation. If they had, they may have realized that Steve bore no immediate threat to anyone - especially considering that he had a pellet gun in his own living room and was not threatening anyone (his roommate, with whom he was having a disagreement was the person who placed the call). While the police will maintain that he turned upon them with a gun in his hand, his reaction was not that different from anyone in a similar situation. He was not aware that his roommate had called the police, and, given his non-violent tendencies, could not have imagined that they suspected that he had a real gun and would shoot someone. Thus, he was startled by a group of police officers breaking down his door and rushing into his apartment. Who wouldn't be? His crime, he reacted by turning around. For this, he was shot. Steve had endured unbelievable highs and lows in his life. it's a tragedy that having endured the hardships in his life, that it would end in this manner. We have lost a good man and piece of our innocence. We live in a violent world, but should we not expect that we can be safe in our homes?

John B. & Phil- Brooklyn IS IN Baltimore City. It say's the address right in the article. The police did no wrong here. There is no way to know if a gun is real or fake from any distance. I don't think I'd take the chance to stop and ask, if I was in that officer's shoes!

Unless you know for sure what happened you should not say things like that. The news doesn't even get the full story and neither will you. Police were there for a reason. That is all that matters.

Steve was shot in his bed.

It doesn't say anywhere in the article about the officers telling him to drop the weapon? So what...they just rolled into his residence and opened fire without question or notice? Sounds like Baltimore's finest at work again. Some things never change.

As a fellow musician, I am horrified by this story. My deepest sympathies to Steve's friends and bandmates.

I agree with Steve Willmore, that Steve Mach was probably so surprised by the presence of police that he just turned around on instinct to see what was going on, and got shot for his troubles. I say this from experience. Let me relate a story.

My band was practicing in our guitarist's sister's basement. Our initial reaction to seeing several people bursting into our rehearsal, dressed head-to-toe in black uniforms, shouting at us to put our hands in the air while pointing guns at us was to exchange confused glances and keep playing.

Then we realized, this wasn't a prank being pulled on us by a friend, but a REAL SWAT team. Turns out, they were doing a raid on the house, looking for the sister, who wasn't home at the time and who unknown to us (except, I'm sure, the guitarist) was dealing.

They let us go once they realized we had nothing to do with the dealing and that we were completely oblivious to it. From having endured that, I totally understand how if a SWAT raid is not something you're accustomed to experiencing, your initial reaction is confused disbelief while your mind tries to process what's happening and place it into the proper framework.

It's just very sad that Steve Mach's actions were misinterpreted and that he lost his life for it.

It is truly a shame when an incident like this happens. Whether one chooses to believe it or not, the officer that fired a fatal shot will likely be hurting as a result. I have known a great many police over my years in downtown Baltimore and never found one who wanted to take someone's life. But police everywhere are trained to react with deadly force when a deadly threat to them or their fellow officers is perceived. Anyone holding and refusing to drop a weapon that appears to be real when ordered to do so by an officer places their life at risk. Pellet, BB and blank weapons have been used in countless robberies, and the victim felt the same as if the weapon were real. The law pertaining to weapons has been stated that the victim's perception is the determining factor, not whether it is real or not. This was the cause for laws being passed that forced toy gun manufacturers to make parts of their guns bright orange to differentiate them from real guns. The fear was that a child might be shot while brandishing a toy gun that appeared to be real. Anyone who has ever been on the wrong end of a firearm of any type can tell you that your thoughts are not whether that gun is real or not. The police are no different, and should not be expected to delay their reaction while hoping to make such a determination. I am saddened that an apparently good human being lost his life. I wish that he would have disarmed himself when ordered to do so.

How are police suppose to know what kind of gun in a heat of the moment situation? Are they suppose to ask to see the gun, to make sure it's not a regular gun, then say, "oh! Okay!! It's a pellet gun! Here you can have it back now." It doesn't work like that, when it's your job to serve and protect. They put their lives on the line and are trained for this. The police know what they are doing but someone.....anyone, that does not put a gun down right away, when they know the police are on the scene or whatever, will get hurt....or fatally hurt. As for police shooting kids with pellet guns......Kids shouldn't have a pellet gun inside their home or on the streets. They belong in the woods or some place away from other human beings. So, if their parents cannot enforce that, then the police will!!!

I did not know Steve Mach and I am sorry for his death, but this sounds like a "suicide by cop" situation to me!

Don't judge people. No one knows what happened. It was tragic all around. RIP Steve.

It was in the Brooklyn section of south Baltimore , not Brooklyn New York. There is alot to this case that no one knows , except for the people involved. Just gonna get covered up like it always does. Sad , regardless of the circumstances.

The police account and that of the witnesses vary greatly. The question posed was , " how are the police supposed to know if it's a real gun?" Training, that's how. There is a certain amount of professionalism involved and it is not unreasonable to be assumed safe from police gunfire in your own home. As far as I am concerned, a few seconds of thought and dialogue and my friend is still around. But sadly he is not and the bPD and city ofBaltimore will not even acknowledge that loss. Shame on them.

It is also never established that Steve EVER pointed the so-called weapon at anyone

I happen to agree with Steve Willmore and JBeez. A thought to consider - as Steve Mach had a long career as a musician and a club technician, would it not be possible that he had suffered hearing loss? If so, would it not be possible that he could not hear or understand the order to drop his weapon, and turned to visually confirm what he may not have heard?

We won't know the answers to these questions. At best, we'll get word that the officers in question were not at fault, although I sincerely doubt we'll even get that. For a police-related shooting, this story seems to be getting buried awfully quickly.

I played in a band with Steve in the mid-90s. We toured Canada in a van in the middle of the winter. Steve had a big heart and a great sense of humor. While we were on tour, I had a death in the family and if it wasn't for Steve Mach, I wouldn't have made it through. He looked out for me during that trip, and for that I was and am eternally grateful to Steve. He was a unique person - they broke the mold when Steve was made. From what I knew about him, he had experienced extreme ups and downs in his life. He was a big but gentle guy at heart. I have nothing but love for Steve Mach. His death is a senseless and extremely tragic waste and I am very sorry - my wish is that it were possible to turn back time to have steered him clear of whatever circumstances brought this upon him. You don't forget a guy like Steve Mach. He will be missed.

I knew Steve.I am horrified and shocked by his death.From what Ive heard he was shot in bed.I also grew up in that area and to say it is a dangerous,vile block that he was living on, would be a gross understatement.My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family.What a horrible situation.

I agree with Randy G. Thank you; you've said it all for me too (I am married to a cop).

I've known him for the better part of thirty years and my only comments are: How high is high, and how blitzed is blitzed. He got what he deserved, and that is that! Make as many excuses as you want, but his whole life has been based upon his refusal to admit that he has to obey the ruiles.

This is tragic. Why do the cops have to shoot to kill? Where were their TASERS? I hear about this kind of thing way too often and the cops never even get a reprimand. Very sad for Steve's family and friends.
RIP Steve. Rock on.

... I DONT KNOW STEVE .... BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOO IDEA FOR THE BALTIMORE MUSICIANS THAT ARE CREATIVE SONG WRITERS .. WHO KNEW STEVE WELL AS A FELLOW MUSICIAN.. TO GET TOGETHER HAVE A BENIFIT TONIGHT AT BALTIMORE CLUB...IN ORDER TO RAISE FUNDS FOR HIS CREMATION COST.....AND EACH MUSICIAN WRITE A SONG ABOUT THE DOWN TIMES AND HAPPY TIMES IN HIS LIFE ..AND WHAT HE STOOD FOR..AND EACH COMPOSER PLAY THEIR TRIBUTE DONG IT AT THE CLUB MEMORIUM TONIGHT ...
I THINK THAT HE WOULD APPRECIATE THE EFFORT AND IT IS A WAY FOR ALL THE AREA BANDS TO COMMEMORATE HIS LIFE

The police acted unnessasarily. Steve was never one to p point a gun at anyone. He probably thought his house was being broken into. Brooklyn md is a crappy place, I used to be steves neighbor, and my bf lives across the st from his address. There is constant drug dealing on the st outside, and when the police enterred the home, two seconds later, one gunshot. Christ, who has time to react in two seconds?? Police here in baltimore (especially southern district where this happened) are very overly gun happy. If you dont know what happened, shut up.

This is sad and so tragic. I worked for the Baltimore City PD FOP and let me tell you, they are arrogant and I have no doubt in my mind and from my experiences with them....this was probably a very senseless homicide. They didn't have to shoot him and kill him. This whole thing sickens me! This world has lost an incredible person!

To the friends who were the family To Steve. Im am sorry for your loss. I had seen the Vamps a few times. Over the years we more than likely were at many of the same events and venues over the years sharing mutual friends but not knowing each other directly. This is to address a scenario. I am not saying in anyway this is what happend I would just like to open the minds to things that could and do happen and the way they should be handled by law enforcement. If a call comes into a 911 operator about a man with a gun this does not mean there is only one gun. It also does not mean that the man with the gun is the bad guy it could be a person trying to defend himself. Just because a person is weilding a gun does not and should not mean a officer can just shoot a person with a gun in their hand warned or not especially in their own home.

Why couldn't they have just shot him in the leg or something? Not only was this guy a pioneer of the Baltimore music scene, he was an animal activist, to boot. That sux.

I think the cops should look for police reports in NY. Personally I have seen him hit a woman at the Cat Club entry way during the early 90's. This guy has a history of drug abuse. Who knows what or if he was doing anything at this point in his life.

Also, I don't think he would commit suicide. He loved his cats far too much.

This is very sad, Steve, came to our church Brooklyn Community UMC, feeding programs, and sometimes would sit in for Bible Study. He was a good guy, he came in the church office last Friday and talked to me for about an hour.
I can't believe what happened.

THE STORY IS STEVE AND ROOMATE WERE FIGHTING VERBALLY , BOTH DRINKING IM SURE ....THE ROOMATE WHO CALLED COPS STARTED THIS WHOLE CHAIN OF EVENTS BY CALLIN COPS AND MISLEADING THEM TO THINK HE HAD A LOADED GUN ..WHEN COPS BARGED INTO STEVES ROOM STEVE'S REACTION TO THIS WAS TURNING AROUND ...THATS WHEN COPS SHOT HIM WITH OUT WARNING ...PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WRITE THINGS DISTASTEFULLY WITHOUT KNOWING THE WHOLE STORY , MAKES ME SICK ....RIP STEVE, GOD KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED....AND IF THE COPS ARE TRAINED RIGHT THEN THEY WOULD HAVE ENTERED PROPERLY AND TALKED THE MAN OUT, ALSO IT STATES HE CHARGED THE COPS ....NO ...HE WAS SITTING ON HIS BED ...BLOOD AND TISSUE MATTER ON TOP OF BED ..NOT FLOOR ...THEREFORE HE WAS SITTING...AND I BELIEVE STEVE THOUGHT HIS ROOMATE WAS COMMING INTO HIS ROOM THEREFORE TURNING FAST TO RESPOND ..COST HIM HIS LIFE ....THANKS TO THE STUPID ROOMAMTE

I've been asking for YEARS--why aren't the police trained to shoot in the leg? This would disable the person, but not kill him. That would avoid this kind of thing.

R.I.P.

---
The answer, I'm told, is that it's not like the movies where you shoot the gun out of someone's hand. Aiming at an extremity like hands or legs means that person still has the ability to shoot back, so they shoot to incapacitate. For the officers or retired officers reading the blog, do I have that right? -JF

@DanB

Who said he "refused?"

We don't know WHAT happened, yet.

Grow up! As horrible as this is, he did WAGGLE A FREAKING LOOKING-REAL GUN AROUND! When the cops react they have to! what if your kids have gotten hurt? All "ööööh, I am so free..."- idiots. Noone wanted this to happend, but he was high as a kite and wouldn't drop his pellet gun that totally looked real. <grow up.

Saga - How do you know he was high as a kite? Could it be he was just resting on his bed due to his recent foot and back injuries? And is there any chance that the room mate who was " fearing for his life" wasn't already showered and driving to work when the deed was done?

I never knew the guy, but it was a great memorial, a great tribute, and a great show. I'd like to think he would've enjoyed/appreciated it.