By Andrea Stevens
AFRO Staff Writer
astevens@afro.com
The funeral services for Gregory Turnipseed will take place this month. Wylie Funeral Home has announced that a viewing for the popular family man and Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) employee will take place at 9200 Liberty Road on Dec. 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. A final viewing will take place on Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. at the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center on 2201 Argonne Drive, immediately followed by a commemoration service at 11 a.m.
Turnipseed died following injuries he suffered in an assault that took place while he was on duty.
According to information released by the Baltimore Police Department (BDP), it was nearly 1 p.m. on Oct. 17 when officers were alerted to “a common assault in the 400 block of St. Paul Street.”
Officers made contact with Turnipseed, 71, and he told authorities what happened.
BPD says officers were told that the victim in the attack “was walking on St. Paul Street when he observed a vehicle waiting for another car to pull out of a parking space. The victim approached the parked vehicle and informed the occupants that another vehicle was waiting for them to vacate the space.”
That’s allegedly all it took for a brutal assault to begin.
“After a verbal exchange, both individuals in the vehicle exited and assaulted the victim, with one of the suspects being an adult female and the other a juvenile female (approximately 15 years old),” said BPD, in the information released to the AFRO. “Both suspects re-entered their vehicle and fled the scene.”
Turnipseed then sought medical attention after the assault, but the damage was done.
On Oct. 20, he underwent surgery at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center to stop the bleeding in his brain. Although the surgery was deemed successful, Turnipseed unfortunately succumbed to his injuries on Nov. 26.
Police told the AFRO that “on November 15, 2025, officers arrested 49-year-old Kiannah Bonaparte, and she was charged with 1st- and 2nd-degree assault.”
City leaders including Mayor Brandon M. Scott, State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates, Police Commissioner Richard Worley and Transportation Director Veronica McBeth released a statement on Nov. 28, mourning the death and noting that Turnipseed was “an exemplary public servant” who “served Baltimore with dignity and integrity.”
President of the City Union of Baltimore, Antoinette Ryan-Johnson, weighed in on the death and the timing of the statement released by city leaders, over a month after the attack.
“As president of a union, to get the call after the fact is unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable,” said Antoinette Ryan-Johnson, in an interview with WJZ. “At the end, he was my member. He belonged to this union. But he was somebody’s personal family member. They now don’t have a father to come home. He should have been able to come home at the end of the day and spend Thanksgiving with them, but that will no longer happen.”
Family members said Turnipseed was well known and deeply loved both within the community and among relatives. His cousin, Carl Turnipseed, said the loss has left a profound void for those who knew him.
“This is a devastating loss. Greg was admired and loved by so many in Baltimore and especially his family,” said Carl Turnipseed. “In fact, he was one of the most popular of ‘The Turnipseeds.’ At any family gatherings and opportunities to help others, Greg Turnipseed was there. He will be so sorely missed.”
A close family friend echoed that sentiment.
“My heart is broken beyond measure. Someone I loved and cared for deeply was brutally taken from me and his life was cut short in a way that no one should ever have to endure,” said the family friend, who asked to remain anonymous. “Greg wasn’t just important to me but to his family – he was a part of my heart, a source of love, laughter and strength. Losing him like this is a pain I would not wish on anyone.”
City officials said support services are being offered to staff as the department grieves the loss of a respected coworker.
“On November 15, 2025, officers arrested 49-year-old Kiannah Bonaparte, and she was charged with 1st- and 2nd-degree assault,” said police. “An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, and the investigation is ongoing.”
UPDATE: This article has been updated to reflect changes in funeral arrangements for Gregory Turnipseed.