Family of Donnell Rochester Demands Justice After Fatal Police Shooting

The family of Donnell Rochester is calling for accountability after officers from the Baltimore Police Department fatally shot the 18-year-old on February 19.

As reported by WMAR, after 3 p.m. that day, license plate readers alerted officers to a person later identified as Donnell who had a warrant open for a robbery. WBAL adds that the warrant was allegedly related to an armed carjacking case.

At the time, Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said the officers followed Donnell’s car until it stopped in the 1800 block of Chilton Street.

When cops approached the car on foot, Donnell allegedly got out, started running, and then got back in the car.

Police allege Donnell drove his car toward an officer, hitting him. This prompted the officer to shoot at the car, while a different officer also shot into Donnell’s vehicle.

Though Donnell got out of the car and surrendered, he had already been shot.

After officers rendered aid, Donnell was transported to a nearby hospital where he eventually succumbed to his injuries.

However, weeks after Donnell’s death, the 18-year-old’s family is casting doubt on these reports and demanding justice.

“He’s supposed to still be here, and it’s not fair,” Markai Jackson, Donnell’s aunt, said Tuesday morning at a rally outside the Baltimore police headquarters.

“It’s innocent until you’re proven guilty. Don’t forget that. So, you can’t even charge him with anything because he wasn’t even proven guilty of anything,” added Shanika Jackson, Donnell’s cousin. “He shouldn’t have died like that, period.”

Per WBAL, while police body camera footage shows officers firing into Donnell’s car, the outlet says it is unclear whether Rochester actually drove toward officers or what led up to the officers firing their weapons.

As a result of the incident, Baltimore Police put the two officers involved in the shooting — Robert Mauri and Connor Murray — on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

While the Maryland Attorney General’s Office’s Independent Investigations Division is looking into the case per state law, Baltimore police told WBAl that their “investigation is ongoing.”

“The Baltimore Police Department was aware of the scheduled protest this morning at our headquarters and will continue to support individuals’ rights to peacefully protest in Baltimore,” they said in a statement.