Deric Ford Sr., a 54-year-old Black male, was nearing the end of his shift as the general manager of a Dollar General in West Baltimore on the night of August 8, 2017. Just before 10:00 PM, as he was preparing to close the store located in the Edmondson Village Shopping Center, two men entered with the intent to rob it.
The men demanded money, and Ford complied with their demands, handing over cash from the register.
Despite his cooperation, one of the robbers, later identified as Michael Thompson, fatally shot him. A citizen flagged down police at approximately 10:02 p.m. to report the robbery and shooting. When officers arrived at the scene in the 4500 block of Edmondson Avenue, they found Ford suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center but succumbed to his injuries en route.
The investigation was swift, aided by surveillance footage from the store that captured the robbery and shooting. This crucial evidence led to the identification and arrest of 27-year-old Michael Thompson just four days later. The community's cooperation and multiple tips also assisted in his capture. Following his arrest, Thompson was also charged in connection with the murder of another man, Michael Scott, which had occurred earlier that year.
On September 5, 2018, Michael Thompson entered a guilty plea in Baltimore City Circuit Court to first-degree murder for the death of Deric Ford Sr. He received a sentence of life in prison plus sixty years. He also pleaded guilty to the use of a firearm in a violent crime by a convicted felon.
