Shots were fired during a police chase near a main intersection in West Baltimore on Monday afternoon, leading to conflicting reports over the fate of the young black man involved.
Journalists and activists on the scene said they saw the man being shot and then taken away in an ambulance. Police, meanwhile, denied that there had been a shooting -- they called the reports "unfounded" -- and said the man was arrested for carrying a handgun.
The intersection is home to the CVS pharmacy that burned down just one week ago during riots in the area.
The reports of a man being shot at North and Pennsylvania Ave are NOT true. Officers have arrested a man for a handgun at the location— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) May 4, 2015
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Many of the initial reports cited a Fox News reporter who told the news channel that he "saw a guy running from the cops" and that a police officer "drew his weapon and fired at the individual."
"The individual who was shot, a young black male, was alive, they just took him off in the ambulance, but he did not look to be in good shape at all...he looked to be in bad shape," the reporter, Mike Tobin, said.
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Footage from the scene shows the immediate aftermath of the incident, in which a group can be seen scrambling to the front of a grocery store. A young black man can be seen lying on the ground while bystanders shout, "They just shot him!" Police then spray the crowd with mace as they secure the crime scene.
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Riot police positioned on the street once again lined up across North Avenue, where they had been stationed through much of last week. Several journalists were at the scene of the incident, which has been the de facto rallying point for many demonstrating in Baltimore in recent days.
Huge police presence back at Penn North. Officer on bullhorn asking people to disperse. One woman pepper sprayed. pic.twitter.com/nJHPGOjrjf— Colin Campbell (@cmcampbell6) May 4, 2015
Journalist Hannah Allam described the event and told Mashable that she saw a man being carried away on a stretcher.
'here we go again!' Crowd yelling. #Baltimore pic.twitter.com/AjVXfpUYCM— Hannah Allam (@HannahAllam) May 4, 2015
Within seconds, vans of police showed up, also EMTs. My colleague got photos of the boy who was shot: 'he doesn't look good,' she said.— Hannah Allam (@HannahAllam) May 4, 2015
Baltimore, and this neighborhood in particular, has been the scene of wide-scale protests in recent days following the death of Freddie Gray on April 19 from injuries sustained while in police custody. Six police officers have been charged in his death. The incident reignited tensions that have been simmering in the neighborhood since Gray's death.
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While it is still unclear what had happened, rumors of the shooting drew immediate and fierce condemnation from protesters in the area, who shouted as police working to clear the area as Fox News's Shep Smith clarified the error to his viewers.
"What's happened is we screwed up," he said.