Latest news with #BilalAbdullah
CBS News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Community demands answers after West Baltimore arabber shot, killed by Baltimore City police
There are renewed calls for answers and for police to release body camera footage after a well-known West Baltimore arabber was shot and killed by police earlier this week. Bilal "BJ" Abdullah Jr., who was shot and killed by Baltimore police on Tuesday, June 17, was a popular arabber, who sold produce on a horse-drawn cart in the city, according to community members. Abdullah allegedly shot a veteran police officer in the foot as three officers opened fire on him, according to a preliminary report from the Maryland Attorney General's Office. Abdullah, who was shot in the exchange of gunfire, was pronounced dead at the hospital. "Justice for BJ" rally in Upton Many neighbors who rallied in Upton are demanding more from the city's police department. Protestors rally for local arabber Bilal "BJ" Yusuf-Muhammad Abdullah Jr. who was shot and killed by Baltimore City police on Tuesday, June 17. Matthew Callahan "Baltimore City police, we look to them to support and protect us, and they took my brother away," Abdullah's sister said at the rally. "We want justice. Those officers knew what they wanted to do. They knew, and we just want justice." Meanwhile, the community is still shocked and remains concerned. "Are we free? Or is it a mirage or a dream still? This represents our freedom is in jeopardy every day, and it's not about one community, or one race of people, it's about all people," Tenecia Brown, ambassador of the Baltimore Peace Movement, said. "The truth reveals justice, and once the truth is revealed, justice will be served." "We must stand together, and we have to show solidarity, and we have to begin this long path of learning to work together. So, we can meaningfully resolve these kinds of problems in our society," Rachel Viqueira said at the rally. Police Accountability Board holds "emergency meeting" The Baltimore City Police Accountability Board held an emergency meeting Friday night, which one board member called rare. They said the meeting was in response to the outrage expressed by neighbors in Upton. The board says it investigated 17 complaints in the Upton neighborhood last year and is expecting another complaint to be filed in this case. It is calling for more independent investigative power. "We would like the ability to question more folks, to be able to subpoena folks, to be able to gather more information," Jamal Turner, president of the Police Accountability Board, said. Attorney General identifies involved officers The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland State Attorney General's Office (AG) has released the names of the officers and the man involved in Tuesday night's fatal shooting in Baltimore City's Upton neighborhood. Officials confirmed that Bilal "BJ" Yusuf-Muhammad Abdullah Jr., 36, was the man shot and killed by Baltimore City police on Tuesday, June 17, just before 7:30 pm. The State Attorney General's Office said the Baltimore City Department (BPD) officers involved in the shooting have been identified as: Detective Devin Yancy, an 8-year veteran of the department; Detective Omar Rodriguez, a 6-year veteran of the department, both assigned to the Group Violence Unit; and Officer Ashely Negron, a 7-year veteran of the department. According to The Baltimore Banner, charges were not brought against Det. Yancy in a 2023 vehicle pursuit. The Banner says Yancy was pursuing a stolen car when the driver later blew through a red light, hit another vehicle, struck a man, and crashed into a vacant building, which partially collapsed. Yancy was one of four officers following the stolen car. A lieutenant called off the chase, and Yancy began to decelerate and followed one block behind the car. That's when the vehicle ran the red light and crashed. Fraternal Order of Police says suspect "escalated" While the community is calling for the officers to be held accountable, the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement that Abdullah chose to escalate the situation by pulling out a gun and firing at police. "The citizens of Baltimore need to decide whether they want law and order or chaos," the statement read. The police accountability board says it hopes body camera video is released next week, but that remains up to BPD and the Attorney General's office. Attorney General's preliminary report A preliminary investigation report from the Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General (AG) revealed that Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) officers in an unmarked cruiser were in the area when they encountered an adult man standing at the corner, carrying a crossbody bag on his back. The man began walking away and the officer followed, according to the AG's report. The man was wearing a crossbow bag on his back when police attempted to stop him near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street. He reportedly led officers on a chase, and during a struggle, shot an officer in the foot, according to police. Police said that as an officer grabbed the man, a gunshot was fired, which prompted the officers to take cover. That's when the man allegedly pointed a gun at the three officers, who shot the man. The officer is recovering after he was released from the hospital following surgery, police said. "A man ran from officers, and a brief truffle ensued," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said. "At some point, the male broke away, multiple officers returned fire, striking the man." What is an arabber? An arabber is a street vendor who sells fruits and vegetables from a horse-drawn cart. It used to be more common in cities along the U.S. East Coast and has a long history in Baltimore as a source of fresh produce in food deserts across the city. However, arabbers are working to stay active on the streets of Baltimore. Holden Warren, the former president of Baltimore's Arabber Preservation Society and co-founder of Stable Baltimore, a nonprofit dedicated to healing and horse culture, said he was working with Bilal "BJ" Abdullah Jr. to revive arabbing.
CBS News
10 hours ago
- CBS News
AG identifies officers involved in fatal shooting of well-known Baltimore arabber
The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland State Attorney General's Office (AG) has released the names of the officers and the man involved in Tuesday night's fatal shooting in Baltimore City's Upton neighborhood. Officials confirmed that Bilal "BJ" Yusuf-Muhammad Abdullah Jr., 36, was the man shot and killed by Baltimore City police on Tuesday, June 17, just before 7:30 pm. The State Attorney General's Office said the Baltimore City Department (BPD) officers involved in the shooting have been identified as: Detective Devin Yancy, an 8-year veteran of the department; Detective Omar Rodriguez, a 6-year veteran of the department, both assigned to the Group Violence Unit; and Officer Ashely Negron, a 7-year veteran of the department. Abdullah allegedly shot a veteran police officer in the foot, according to a preliminary report from the AG's Office. Both the officer and Abdullah were taken to the shock trauma. However, Abdullah, who was shot in the exchange of gunfire with police, was pronounced dead at the hospital. The officer shot, underwent surgery, and is now recovering, according to authorities. Attorney General's preliminary report The preliminary investigation from the investigation division of the state Attorney General's office revealed that a BPD officer in an unmarked cruiser was in the area of Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street when the officer saw Abdullah allegedly wearing a crossbody bag on his back. The officer believed Abdullah had a firearm and attempted to speak with him. One officer then allegedly exited the unmarked cruiser and approached Abdullah on foot. Abdullah began walking away, and the officer followed, according to the AG's report. As the officer followed, the man allegedly shifted the bag from back to front and ran away. A second officer exited the cruiser to help the first officer, according to the AG's preliminary report. A third officer, who was posted at the intersection in a separate marked cruiser, also got out of her vehicle. Police said that the first officer grabbed Abdullah, and a gunshot was fired, which prompted the officers to take cover. "A man ran from officers, and a brief truffle ensued," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said Tuesday night after the shooting. "At some point, the male broke away, multiple officers returned fire, striking the man." A firearm was recovered and secured by an officer, according to police. Tuesday night, Worley also said that a crowd at the scene interfered with officers as they attempted to provide immediate aid to the man. Fraternal Order of Police response The Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #3 (FOP #3) issued a press release on the social media site 'X' on Thursday in response to the officer-involved shooting. The release from the lodge states that after being approached by police, the suspect chose to escalate the situation. "The citizens of Baltimore need to decide whether they want law and order or chaos," wrote FOP #3 president Mark Mancuso. West Baltimore community reaction On Thursday night, the West Baltimore community held a vigil in honor of Abdullah. Many neighbors and family members were tight-lipped but were visibly upset about his death. "They are trying to make it seem like he is just this bad guy—no, he isn't, you see how many people are out here who love him," said a relative who goes by the name of 'Peezzy'. On Friday afternoon, two separate memorials continued to grow in Abdullah's honor— both at the scene of the shooting and in the neighborhood where the vigil was held. A memorial was dedicated to Bilal "BJ" Abdullah Jr, a well-known arabber shot and killed by Baltimore police, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Janay Reece Abdullah was a popular arabber, who sold produce on a horse-drawn cart in the city, according to community members. "When we all stopped arabbing, BJ kept going. He kept it going," said Marqueatia "Weedy" Watters, a close friend of BJ. "He kept the name going. Like, he kept it going." Tony, known as "the Melon Man" or the "Fruit Man", said he worked as an arabber with Abdullah's family. "All my life, I worked for his father, BJ's father is Bilal Sr., a brother, and an uncle. So, you know he had plenty of horses," Tony said. "I can tell you, he will be missed." What is an arabber? Arabbing has a long history in Baltimore as a source of fresh produce in food deserts across the city. An arabber is a street vendor who sells fruits and vegetables from a horse-drawn cart. They used to be common in cities along the U.S. East Coast. However, arabbers are working to stay active on the streets of Baltimore. Holden Warren is the co-founder of Stable Baltimore alongside Levar Mullen, an organization that Warren and Mullen dedicated to healing and horse culture. Warren explained to WJZ that they were working with Abdullah to bring arabber's back in a new and sustainable way. "We've been training a new round of arabbers and we talked about bringing BJ back this summer. As we began to roll out new parts of our program," Warren said. "We're going to include an app and let them take EBT and things like that to help, sort of create more income streams for the arrabbers." Body-camera footage to be released Baltimore City NAACP responded to the officer-involved shooting on Facebook, confirming the Baltimore Police Department "... has reached out to the Baltimore City NAACP to arrange a private viewing of the body-worn camera footage once it has been prepared. We intend to review this footage with the seriousness and urgency this moment demands." The West Baltimore community also held a peaceful march and rally at 6:00 p.m. Friday near Pennsylvania and W. North Avenues. At the same time, the Baltimore City Police Accountability Board held an emergency meeting from 6:00p-8:00p.
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Baltimore's "arrabing" community reflects on police shooting that left man dead
Bilal "BJ" Abdullah Jr., who was shot and killed by Baltimore police on Tuesday, June 17, was a known "arraber," selling produce on a horse-drawn cart in the city, according to community members. Abdullah allegedly shot a veteran police officer in the foot as three officers opened fire on him, according to a preliminary report from the Maryland Attorney General's Office. Abdullah, who was shot in the exchange of gunfire, was pronounced dead at the hospital. "When we all stopped arabbing, BJ kept going. He kept it going," said Marqueatia "Weedy" Watters. "He kept the name going. Like, he kept it going." Bilal "BJ" Abdullah Jr., who was shot and killed by Baltimore police on Tuesday, June 17, was a known "arraber," selling produce on a horse-drawn cart in the city, according to community members. Stable Baltimore Watters said she worked as an arabber for Abdullah's family, who owned several horses. "I tell you what, if (BJ) love you, he gonna go against anything for you, "Watters said. "He don't care. He gonna be right there for you. He don't care, every step of the way." Attorney General's initial report As officers were patrolling Baltimore's Upton community, they saw a man whom they believed was armed, according to charging documents. The man was wearing a crossbow bag on his back when police attempted to stop him near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street. He reportedly led officers on a chase, and during a struggle, shot an officer in the foot, according to police. Bilal "BJ" Abdullah Jr., who was shot and killed by Baltimore police on Tuesday, June 17, was a known "arraber," selling produce on a horse-drawn cart in the city, according to community members. Stable Baltimore Police said that as an officer grabbed the man, a gunshot was fired, which prompted the officers to take cover. That's when the man allegedly pointed a gun at the three officers, who shot the man. The officer is recovering after he was released from the hospital following surgery, police said. "A man ran from officers, and a brief truffle ensued," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said. "At some point, the male broke away, multiple officers returned fire, striking the man." Video shows community reaction Video shows the intense moments between neighbors and police moments after the shooting. WJZ returned to the neighborhood where neighbors were tight-lipped but were visibly angry. "I can tell you, he will be missed," a neighbor said. "The AG's office says that BPD will be releasing body camera footage by its policies. What is an arabber? Arabbing has a long history in Baltimore as a source of fresh produce in food deserts across the city. An arabber is a street vendor who sells fruits and vegetables from a horse-drawn cart. They used to be common in cities along the U.S. East Coast. Bilal "BJ" Abdullah Jr., who was shot and killed by Baltimore police on Tuesday, June 17, was a known "arraber," selling produce on a horse-drawn cart in the city, according to community members. Stable Baltimore However, arabbers are working to stay active on the streets of Baltimore. Holden Warren, the former president of Baltimore's Arabber Preservation Society and co-founder of Stable Baltimore, a nonprofit dedicated to healing and horse culture, said he was working with Bilal "BJ" Abdullah Jr. to revive arabbing. "He was one of the last real hardcore arabbers that was still doing it, about four or five years ago, meaning he had daily routes," Warren said. "He had customers along those routes, and the routes went all over the city."
National News
26-04-2025
- Business
- National News
Monday, April 28, 2025
Time. Topic 10:00 Minister of Labor, Mohammad Haidar, chairs a meeting at his office in the Ministry to continue discussions about the Wage Index Committee on ways to improve salaries and wages for workers in the private sector 10:30. A session of the Committee on Public Health, Labor, and Social Affairs, chaired by MP Bilal Abdullah, will be held at the office building, 5th floor, Room 515 12:00. Members of the French Senate — Étienne Blanc, Loïc Hervé, and Gisèle Jourda — will hold a meeting with the Lebanese Parliamentary Friendship Committee with the French Senate, chaired by MP Michel Moussa, and the Lebanese Parliamentary Friendship Committee with the French National Assembly, chaired by MP Simon Abi Ramia. The meeting will be attended by the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Committee, MP Fadi Alameh, and will take place at the Human Rights Committee Hall, within the Office Building of Members of Parliament, 2nd Floor, Room 201 ==============
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Syria security forces disperse rival protests in Damascus
Syrian security forces on Sunday fired in the air to disperse rival protests after pro-government demonstrators clashed with a gathering mourning dead civilians, following the reported mass killings of Alawites. The incident came after deadly violence in Syria's Alawite heartland that saw hundreds killed, according to a war monitor, in attacks targeting the religious minority or in clashes between security forces and armed groups loyal to toppled president Bashar al-Assad. Activists had called for a silent protest in Damascus "to mourn the souls of the civilians and the martyrs among the security forces". Dozens gathered for the demonstration, some raising signs saying "Syrian lives are not cheap", before they were confronted by counter-protesters who chanted anti-Alawite slogans and called for a "Sunni Muslim state". About 200 protesters had gathered in total on both sides, AFP journalists said. Physical altercations broke out between the demonstrators, before security forces intervened and dispersed them, firing gunshots into the air. "We were slaughtered for 14 years and we didn't hear a word from you," one of the counter-protesters was heard shouting before the demonstrations broke up. A woman from the original demonstration responded, calling on them to settle "your score with Assad, we have nothing to do with his crimes". Bilal Abdullah, 37, said he joined that demonstration "to mourn the souls of the martyrs among the general security and the army, as well as the civilians who were killed recently on the coast and in the countryside". Clashes erupted on Thursday between the new security forces and gunmen loyal to Assad, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Sunday reporting 231 members of the security forces and 250 pro-Assad fighters killed. The Observatory also said security forces and allied groups killed 830 Alawite civilians in the provinces of Latakia and Tartus. The violence is the fiercest since Islamist-led rebels toppled Assad on December 8 following a lightning offensive. bur/jsa/it
