In the spring of 1997, a veteran Baltimore police lieutenant, just a month shy of his 29th anniversary with the department, responded to a routine call that would tragically be his last. Lieutenant Owen E. Sweeney, Jr., a 47-year-old male, was known for his preference for street work over paperwork, a quality that led him to join his officers at a residence in Northeast Baltimore on that fateful afternoon.
He was attempting to serve a mental health petition.
At the scene, Sweeney tried to peacefully communicate with the man inside, identified as 41-year-old Baron Michael Cherry. Standing outside a second-floor apartment door, Sweeney offered words of reassurance, saying, 'We're here to help you, we're not here to hurt you.' As the lieutenant and other officers began to turn and walk away, a shotgun blast erupted from behind the wooden door, striking Sweeney in the lower back. He collapsed into the arms of a fellow officer.
Rushed to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, Sweeney underwent hours of surgery but succumbed to his injuries. In the immediate aftermath, Baron Michael Cherry surrendered to the police, unarmed and reportedly apologetic. He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and a weapons offense.
The investigation revealed that Cherry had a history of mental health issues, and his wife had called the police in an attempt to get him help. Cherry was later ruled mentally unfit to stand trial for the murder of Lieutenant Sweeney. He was subsequently committed to a maximum-security state hospital and was not held criminally responsible for his actions. The death of Lieutenant Sweeney, a respected officer on the brink of retirement, was a profound loss for the Baltimore Police Department and the community he served for nearly three decades.
