The Maryland Office of the Attorney General has released footage from its investigation into a high-speed police chase in February that ended in one fatality, at least five serious injuries, and a partially collapsed building.
The Feb. 8 pursuit began after the driver, Shawn Lee Brunson, 33, fled as Baltimore officers attempted to stop his vehicle after identifying it as stolen.
In the video, the subject of the pursuit, a black sedan, is seen racing down a city block and, at speed, entering an intersection while the traffic signal is red. An oncoming orange sedan strikes the subject on the passenger’s side of the engine block and sends the two vehicles careening toward the city sidewalk. There, a pedestrian walking around the corner of a building is caught in their path and is briefly pinned between the two vehicles as the black sedan makes an impact with the condemned building. Immediately, a portion of the building’s façade begins to collapse, piling the two motorists with bricks and rubble, under which the two vehicles entirely disappear.
According to police statements from the night of the incident, the pedestrian who was struck by the vehicles, 54-year-old Alfred Fincher, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a statement from Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown:
The Hyundai entered the intersection of North Wolfe Street and East North Avenue, where it collided with a sedan. Both the Hyundai and the sedan struck a pedestrian who was standing on the sidewalk before crashing into a vacant row home. The occupants of both cars were taken to an area hospital to be treated for their injuries. The pedestrian, 54-year-old Alfred Fincher of Baltimore, was pronounced dead on the scene. The driver of the Hyundai was taken into custody by Baltimore Police.
A team of over 40 firefighters and other first responders assisted in the cleanup effort, removing debris from the collision and rubble from the building. All five passengers were transported to a local hospital, treated for their injuries, and released. Brunson, the driver of the allegedly stolen vehicle, has been booked on charges related to motor vehicle theft.
#Baltimore
*potentially disturbing*
The Maryland Office of the Attorney General has released street camera video and bodycam footage from a fatal police pursuit turned crash/collapse; where a fleeing suspect crashed into a building causing a significant collapse on February 8th. pic.twitter.com/XEvphHyNlb— Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) March 2, 2023
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story mistakenly stated that Fincher — not Brunson — was taken into custody.
