Baltimore officer who struck, killed man on scooter will serve probation, not spend time in jail
BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore police officer who collided with a man on a scooter and killed him when he ran a red light in East Baltimore has pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter but will not serve jail time for the deadly crash, according to WJZ's media partner The Baltimore Banner.
Officer Alexis Acosta struck 58-year-old Terry Harrell at the intersection of East Biddle Street and North Milton Avenue while headed toward a reported stabbing on June 21, 2022. Harrell was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries and died two days later.
Video footage provided by state investigators shows Alexis driving through a red light before colliding with Harrell. Afterward, Harrell can be seen flying off of his scooter.
The footage from Acosta's body-worn camera shows he ran a red light, appearing to violate department policy.
Acosta pleaded guilty on Tuesday and apologized to Harrell's family in the courtroom. Baltimore Circuit Judge Yvette Bryant accepted a plea agreement that called for Acosta to spend two years on probation, the Baltimore Banner reported.
The City of Baltimore has paid $8.3 million to victims of police misaction in 2023. Harrell's family was among the recipients.
The family of Harrell previously accused Alexis Acosta—who was driving the patrol cruiser that struck Harrell—of being reckless.
"This is a tragedy that was clearly avoidable had Officer Acosta just followed the rules," Alex Binder, who represents Harrell's family, said. "We're in the process of working with the government entities to get to the bottom of this but you can believe that we will be fighting very hard for justice and making sure that justice, transparency and accountability will be served."