Baltimore City settles police cruiser injury lawsuit for $400,000

A marked Baltimore Police Ford Explorer ran over Devonte Jett during a 2021 chase in Upton, and Baltimore City has agreed to pay $400,000 to settle the federal lawsuit.

Jett was 16 when officers responded to a reported carjacking in West Baltimore. A police Foxtrot helicopter captured aerial footage of the pursuit, and the complaint alleges that Jett ran through a grassy area while an officer on foot pointed a gun at him. The complaint alleges Sgt. Steven M. Reed then drove a marked Baltimore Police Ford Explorer toward Jett and ran him over with both passenger-side tires, knocking him unconscious and causing injuries to his lungs and pelvis.

The complaint also alleged that officers handcuffed Jett while he was unconscious, did not call for emergency medical help right away, and later tried to disguise what happened by placing a BB gun in his pants and claiming he had collided with the patrol vehicle on his own. The federal civil case was filed on December 22, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore City, the Baltimore Police Department, Officer Steven Reed, and Officer Brandon Butt.

Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander dismissed the case on May 19, 2026, subject to reopening if the settlement is not consummated. Reed, the officer accused of driving the cruiser, is also facing attempted murder charges in a separate criminal case, with trial set for August.

In August 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice found reasonable cause to believe the Baltimore Police Department engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional conduct, including excessive force and discriminatory enforcement. Baltimore approved a $6.4 million settlement with Freddie Gray’s family in September 2015, and 39 Gun Trace Task Force settlements and claims have been approved since 2020, totaling $22,175,073.27, in the Baltimore City Comptroller’s Office tally.