“In a callous act of violence, the defendant pushed the victim not once, but twice, ensuring that he tragically fell from the subway station platform to his death,” Bates said. “It is unfathomable to consider the anguish of a family awaiting a loved one who will never return due to such senseless brutality.”
Bates campaigned on cracking down on gun violence and restarting prosecutions for nonviolent crimes such as drug possession, prostitution, and trespassing. He promised to improve technology in the state’s attorney’s office, hire and train more staff, and work closely with federal authorities.
In a statement Monday, Bates called the behavior seen in the viral video “abhorrent,” and said the outcome conveys that his office will not tolerate hate-filled acts. “There is never a scenario in which violence is acceptable in our city,” Bates said.
"Too often we see individuals that have arrest warrants put out on them for whatever reason, then they're detained , they're locked up, and they're arrested for whatever reason they've lost jobs, they've lost time from their community," said Bates.
Adnan Syed was convicted for murdering his high school girlfriend Hae Min Lee and spent more than two decades behind bars. After his story was chronicled on the podcast “Serial”, his conviction was vacated by a judge and he was freed. That conviction was later reinstated. NBC News’ Lester Holt spoke exclusively with new Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates about why he’s ending the fight to overturn that conviction, and why he supports a reduction in Syed’s sentence.
The prosecution described Mackay as a repeat offender with at least 41 run-ins with law enforcement since 2004. Mackay has previously been charged for narcotics and in connection to multiple armed robberies in both Maryland and Delaware.
Jabre Griffith was found guilty in November 2024 of first-degree murder, six counts of attempted murder, and firearms charges in the shooting.
Prosecution and defense counsel gave closing statements on the fifth day of Kemonta Johnson’s jury trial on Feb. 6 and debated the legitimacy of admitted evidence, which includes cellphone records, a 9mm Ruger handgun recovered from the scene and Kemonta Johnson’s 2007 Chevrolet Uplander minivan.
Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates spoke with WBAL's Torrey Snow about reducing violent crime in Baltimore, Erek Barron's resignation as Maryland U.S. attorney, and other topics.
