“We believe the police officer acted promptly to save the life of the young woman who was attacked by a knife-wielding suspect,” Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said.
A Baltimore police officer fired more than 12 shots at a knife-wielding suspect at close range, according to body-worn camera footage, local media reported.
The incident, which occurred on November 9, 2022, drew special attention because of the timely response of the police that helped the woman escape death.
The incident occurred when Officer Zachary Rutherford and his subordinate Michael Hazel arrived at an intersection in Baltimore. Rutherford discovered a woman being attacked by suspect Tyree Moorehead with a knife.
At that point, the suspect pinned the young woman to the ground and pointed a large kitchen knife at her. “Get down,” Officer Rutherford yelled, as he pulled out his gun and ran toward the suspect.
The officer fired several shots at the suspect, causing him to roll on the ground. The woman was freed.
Officer Rutherford continued to fire at Moorehead while the suspect was still holding the knife.
The officer then reloaded, pointed the gun at the suspect but did not fire again, and asked the suspect to drop the knife.
Responding at a press conference, Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said Officer Rutherford had been with the city police department since March 2022, after three years of service in the traffic police force.
“We believe Officer Rutherford’s timely actions saved the woman’s life,” Harrison said.
Moorhead’s father, meanwhile, complained that police fired more than 10 shots unnecessarily. “The police should not have shot my son that many times,” he said.
Moorhead was taken to a University of Maryland Medical Center but later died. The woman who was attacked was a resident of Baltimore.
According to city police, the victim and suspect did not appear to be related.
Moorehead’s family and friends described the suspect’s behavior in the months leading up to the shooting as erratic and that he appeared to have mental health issues.
