BALTIMORE _ The Baltimore Police officer shot on Tuesday after trying to stop an erratic driver in Federal Hill has asked for unity between his fellow officers and the community.
Officer Joshua Jackson made the comments on social media Wednesday _ the day he was released from Shock Trauma, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after police said he was shot by Antonio Janifer, who remained at large Thursday.
"To my fellow brothers and sisters in the field with me: I don't want this to be a time of disconnect with the community but rather a time to come together. We have to remember that no matter how we patrol, evil acts will still occur. But it's how we react to them (that) will gain or lose trust with the community," he said.
Jackson had already been known publicly after attracting local and national media attention as "Saint, the Rapping Cop" for writing songs about his career in law enforcement, including sentiments about police-community relations and long shifts.
In an interview last year, Jackson told The Baltimore Sun his music helped with the stresses of the job. "There's always people who won't agree with what I have going on," Jackson said. "I don't respond to anything negative. But if someone wants to rap it out, we can rap it out."
Police Commissioner Michael Harrison identified Janifer as the suspect on Wednesday, and said he is believed to be armed and dangerous.
The department has not said where Janifer might have fled and have asked the public for any information on his whereabouts.
An arrest warrant was issued for Antonio Oliver Janifer, 28, in connection with Tuesday's shooting of an officer in Fed Hill, announced Commissioner Harrison.
The incident began around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night after Harrison said Jackson attempted to pull Janifer over because he was driving erratically. Janifer did not stop until he struck a parked car and continued to flee on foot, Harrison said. During the foot chase, Harrison said, Janifer shot at Jackson, striking the officer in his abdomen. The suspect, police said, then proceeded to carjack one, possibly two cars, to escape.
Harrison said detectives were able to identify Janifer as the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant for him, but the commissioner did not provide additional details.
Jackson was taken to Shock Trauma and was treated after a bullet grazed the side of his abdomen, but he did not require any surgery. He was released from the hospital the following day.
The shooting in Baltimore comes just as Minneapolis is faced with ongoing protests and rioting this week, similar to the unrest Baltimore faced in 2015 after the arrest and death of Freddie Gray. Four Minneapolis police officers have been fired after the death George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody.
Since 2015, the Baltimore Police Department has struggled to win back trust among residents following the fallout from Gray's death. The department has struggled to keep up officer morale and recruitment. Six Baltimore Police officers were charged in connection with Gray's arrest and death but were not convicted.
Jackson, who joined the department since 2017, appears undeterred by the recent events.
"If you are a person that has a disdain for police officers I still love you. It starts with us," he wrote.
