Off-duty police officer slain in bar fight

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

Investigation is continuing into an incident involving the shooting death of a longtime city police officer at the hands of a second officer. The event took place shortly after midnight on Thursday, according to Sterling Clifford, director of public affairs for the Baltimore Police Department.
Based on interviews with witnesses, said Clifford, events actually began late Wednesday night when a fight broke out in Haven Place, a strip bar located at Pulaski Highway and Haven Street.
“A couple of women came into the bar seeking employment,” Clifford notes, “and one patron in the bar made a comment, which apparently set off a fight.”
The altercation moved out into the street in front of the bar, then back inside, then out the back door. Three uniformed officers from the Southeastern District arrived to break up the fight. While two went inside the bar, a third, Officer John Torres, a seven-year veteran on the force, stationed himself by the back door to prevent any further patrons from coming out and joining the fight.
One individual, later identified as Norman Stamp, a city police officer, “came out the back door of the bar with brass knuckles on his hand,” said Clifford. “Officer Torres ordered Stamp to stop. When he did not stop, Officer Torres deployed his taser. Officer Stamp drew a handgun and Officer Torres drew his own weapon and fired.”
Stamp was pronounced dead a short time later.
According to Clifford, Stamp, a 44-year veteran of the force, was not on duty at the time of the incident and was not in uniform. He was not acting in a security capacity at the bar. Police officials are waiting for results of tests performed by the Office of the City Medical Examiner to determine whether Stamp had been drinking at the time of the incident. The results are expected to be back in approximately mid-May.
Stamp was a member of the department’s Marine Unit at the time of his death. According to Clifford, there had been no disciplinary problems with him in the department.
Clifford called the shooting “a tragedy on every level.”
“This is the worst police-involved shooting, possibly ever,” he added.