BALTIMORE — A preliminary hearing for a 15-year-old squeegee worker accused of fatally shooting a 48-year-old man during a confrontation earlier this month near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor pushed back.
The teen, who is charged as an adult with first-degree murder in the July 7 shooting death of Timothy Reynolds, was set to appear in court on Thursday. But after the state asked for additional time, the hearing was postponed until Aug. 11.
Attorneys for the 15-year-old boy have said their client feared for his own safety when he shot Reynolds, who was armed with a bat during the deadly confrontation. They’re calling for the first-degree murder charge to be dropped.
The teen, whose name is not being released because of his age, was denied bail earlier this month after a judge found he presented a a danger to the public, WJZ previously reported.
The charges stem from the deadly July 7 shooting near the intersection of Light and Conway streets. Police said there was a dispute between squeegee workers and Reynolds, who parked his car and approached the group with a bat.
Police said the 48-year-old was advancing toward the squeegee workers when he was shot. He did not survive.
Prosecutors have contended that Reynolds was surrounded by three window washers and was disoriented after being struck with a rock when he was shot, WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren previously reported.
The teen’s defense team doesn’t see it that way. Defense attorney J. Wyndal Gordon said his client has a strong case because he was in immediate danger of death or serious bodily injury.
“This case is very defensible,” Gordon said earlier this month. “Someone wielding a bat is deadly force.”
The teen, who lives in Baltimore County but attended school in Baltimore City, was washing windows to support his younger siblings, his attorneys said. They said the case should be tried in juvenile court.
The deadly incident galvanized the city, with leaders calling for solutions to what they’ve characterized as ongoing issues with squeegee workers, a common sight at busy intersections.