A man has been charged in the death of his 5-month-old son according to Baltimore Police.
Perry Nelson-Johnson
Perry Nelson-Johnson, 31, of the 1600 block of North Smallwood Street has been charged with 1st and 2nd degree murder, 1st and 2nd degree assault, 1st degree child abuse resulting in death, and various other charges.
According to police, on June 9th at 4:00 a.m. medics responded to a call in the 1600 block of North Smallwood Street for an unconscious baby.
Johnson, the child’s father, initially told the police the baby rolled off of the bed and hit its head. Johnson and the mother of the infant also told police that the baby appeared to be fine until they called for a medic.
The baby boy, identified as 5-month-old Emmanuel Johnson, was transported to shock trauma where he was pronounced dead.
According to Baltimore Police Chief Spokesman T.J. Smith, the infant appeared to have old and new wounds over the surface of its body. An autopsy revealed the baby suffered severe head trauma.
According to police, the child’s injuries and evidence at the scene weren’t consistent with his parents story of a fall. The case was ruled a homicide due to multiple blunt force traumas to the head.
Johnson, who is partially blind, uses a guide stick, which police suspect may have been used as a weapon.
Johnson turned himself into Baltimore Police June 13.
It has not been determined if the boy’s mother will face charges and she has not currently been taken into custody.
In addition to the death of 5-month-old Emmanuel, Baltimore City endured a rash of violence this past weekend.
The weekend ended with 12 shootings and continued through Tuesday with five separate shootings and six fatalities bringing Baltimore’s homicide rate for the year to 159 as of June 14.
Tuesday afternoon, Commissioner Kevin Davis held a press conference to announce Baltimore Police officers will be on 12-hour shifts to combat the violence effective immediately.
The initiative is a week long effort that will require patrol officers to work 12 hours instead of their usual 10 hour shifts.
“Every sworn officer in the department, who is capable, will be on the street,” said Davis.
“There will be a visible, overt presence”
Davis called the latest violence “unconscionable” and said he’s just as “pissed off” as those in the community.
Less than an hour after his announcement to augment police patrols, city officers were called to the 3300 block of Ayrdale Avenue, a neighborhood of Northwest Baltimore, where four males, were wounded in a shooting.
The males were 19, 20, 23, and 55.
According to police there was so many shell casings, officers ran out of evidence markers and had to use trash to mark them all.
“Were just as angry and frustrated and ticked off about it as anyone else watching and I expect people to be upset,” stated Davis.
“I expect people to want a better Baltimore, to want a sense of peace and tranquility that when they leave their home, or go to their car, or go to the store, or go to work, or walk in the neighborhood, that they don’t have to put up with this crap.”
According to Davis, the ongoing violence stems from “petty” street disputes and retaliation from gangs such as the Black Guerrilla Family and the Bloods.
“These younger gang members are vicious killers who don’t give a damn about adhering to any pre-existing code of conduct that existed in their criminal enterprises,” according to Davis.
Davis said gun offenders in Baltimore, “do not fear an arrest, they do not fear a successful prosecution, and, quite frankly, they don’t even fear a damn guilty verdict.”