A paranoid schizophrenic man in the middle of a psychotic break raises a loaded weapon and points it directly at a police officer. The officer, however, hesitates and does not [music] fire. It's not until the suspect levels the gun a second time that both officers react, firing multiple rounds. While law enforcement ruled the shooting fully justified, civil rights groups pointed to the incident as the ultimate proof that unarmed crisis intervention teams are needed. On today's episode of Justice in America, we'll show you how it came to this and let you decide. July 1st, 2020, Baltimore, Maryland. At approximately 3:30 a.m., officers with the Baltimore Police Department respond to a call about a possibly armed paranoid schizophrenic man having a severe psychotic break in the basement of his in-laws' home. >> I know him, ma'am. >> Hey, this is Listen, I'm in the basement. He's in the basement. >> Huh? >> He was out here like 2 3 days 3 days ago running down the street acting crazy. Get up some. >> No, it's not him? >> Yeah, that's him. He ranted now. >> All right. Is he >> Wait a minute, but she I asked you, do you think he might have another gun? >> So, he had a gun? >> When they found him the last time when he was ranting out in the street, yeah. That time. He is a psych patient. He's out there screaming and ranting now. It's my daughter, that's her husband. Last time they gave him two shots of whatever you give him, they took him to the side. He trying to take his medicine. >> He's not taking his medicine? >> He probably didn't cuz he keeps saying, "I'm going to do this natural. I'm going to do this natural." She trying to get him to come up. >> Where is she at? >> In the basement. >> She's with him? >> Yes. He's not going to harm He not He ain't harming nobody. But, I don't trust him. He said he didn't take them a couple of weeks last couple of weeks >> What was the new man >> running up and down running up and >> Yeah. >> Yeah, yeah. That's him. The big black I'm Yes. >> What did he come back with? >> Very. >> He's not as bad as the last last time. >> I can better. >> Right. >> Officers are now realizing that they're familiar with the suspect as just 10 days earlier, 33-year-old Ricky Walker Jr. had been found naked in public walking down the street and firing a 9 mm pistol at passing vehicles. We will get to exactly why he was back on the street at the end of this episode, but for now officers continue to speak with his family to get the scope of the situation. >> So, she can't make him come outside? >> Is he coming or is he coming in? >> How old is >> 33. >> Are you Are you coming in? >> I'll trust you. He's coming in. >> Is he intoxicated? >> No. >> Okay, so he just didn't take his medication. >> Right. >> Okay. Go ahead and get it over with. >> It ain't going to be that easy. >> Nothing ever is. >> No, I don't. >> Make sure he don't have any weapons in the car. Do you have any weapons in there? >> I believe so. >> You guys have any weapons? >> I believe he has a weapon in his pocket. >> He does have a weapon in his pocket. >> The police right here. >> All right, he might be armed as well. Ma'am, do me a favor. >> Because my mother is upstairs. >> Ma'am, ma'am, do me a favor. Watch out the window. Watch this. Watch this. >> Is the medics here? >> Yes, the medics are outside. >> Morning. The following is a graphic depiction of a severe psychotic episode. Viewer discretion is advised. >> What's going on, man? >> Hey, yo. I was hurt earlier. In front of cameras, they got body cameras and all. >> Right. Right. >> Masks. >> I got you. >> [ __ ] you, yo. I'm not trying to kill none of y'all, yo. >> Yeah. >> Hell, yo. >> I got you, man. >> I seen enough death, yo. >> Yeah? >> They still got masks on. >> I got you. >> They are real city police, yo. >> Mhm. >> How do these How do these police officers How they get in here, yo? I didn't call these people. They got on masks. >> Your family called it. >> Every They trying to take my life, yo. >> They're not They're not trying to take your life. >> kill me. They came in my house illegally and they about to kill me. Look at them. You have to lower your mask. >> Could you take that knife out of your pocket for me, please? >> I ain't taking nothing. Everything I do is illegal. Excuse me. I'm just started because my wife poisoned me. I told my father this the other day. They They He's smaller than me, Antoine. Who's You know what is? That's my man. That's my barber. >> Okay. >> My barber. He cuts my hair, yo. Everything I do is legal. It's quarantine. We chilling. Please, he about to kill me in real life. >> I'm not trying to hurt you. >> to kill me, yo. >> We're trying to help you. The medics are upstairs. You want to go upstairs and >> Y'all illegal. Please, come save my life. They distorted me. Please, he's been sleeping with my wife. >> We are trying to help you. >> with my wife, yo. >> Did you feel like So, you felt like you were going to hurt yourself? >> No, hell no. >> What's your name? Can you take down your mask, please? You're inside my house. >> And if I kill you inside my house, yo, it's legal, yo. You want to die inside my house, yo? >> Nobody's going to die here. >> any I'm peaceful. I was chastised. They poisoned me. I died. I came back on the third day in front of the cameras. This my real life, yo. I don't lie. DID I LIE? BOSSES ONLY. KING CHAMBERS. GET OUT MY CHAINS. >> NO ONE is not trying to hurt you. >> I came back. I died. I beat DEATH, YO. Y'ALL CAN'T KILL ME. LOOK, THEY MOVING STUFF. THEY MOVING STUFF. BUT YOU can't kill me in real life. >> Then we have a warrant for your car. Nobody wants to kill you. >> They came in my house illegally. They trying to take my life. Soon as I turn my back, yo, they going to kill me. Everybody's in my house right now, yo. They trying to kill me. They moving stuff, yo. >> She the medics over here. She the officers here. >> Why y'all trying to kill me, yo? What I do to y'all, yo? >> Why do you believe they're going to try to kill >> They going to try to the end, yo. They going to try to the end, yo. Look. Why y'all getting closer? I didn't invite these people. I'm just No, I'm distorted. I'm distorted because these people tried to kill me. Did they not? Can I get a hug, yo? Do you want to go with the medic? Come give me a hug in front of the camera. Quarantine and chill. I've been thinking of chill all day. Do you want a ball stay with the medic? I've been thinking of chill since last night. No, I ain't going nowhere. I'm all natural. FAKE FAKE MASTER. I've been Yo. You take the medication? No. No. No. Yo, that [ __ ] fake. You take the medication? I know, yo. Fake. Okay. So, listen. It's fake. They tried to kill me. The medics are outside. >> HERE, IN SLOW MOTION, YOU can see Walker raise the weapon and point it directly at the officer. The officer, however, does not fire. It's not until Walker raises it at officers a second time that they react, both firing multiple rounds at Walker. Here, from a second angle, you can see Walker pull what appears to be an AK-47 magazine from his left pocket. He then drops it to the ground as he raises the pistol with his right hand. Walker was struck multiple times in the torso by two separate officers [music] and survived his critical injuries. While rendering immediate medical aid, officers discovered a second loaded handgun in Walker's shorts, as well as a loaded AK-47 sitting just inches away on the floor. The fact that Walker was free is astonishing, as just 10 days earlier, he had been found naked in public walking down the street firing a 9-mm pistol at passing [music] vehicles. But, instead of being criminally charged, his violent, erratic behavior was treated strictly as a psychiatric [music] crisis, and he was taken directly to the hospital. He was never arrested and criminal charges were never filed. He was held at the hospital for 72 hours and released back into the community. For this most recent incident, [music] Walker was charged with first-degree assault, use of a firearm in a crime of violence, reckless endangerment, and various weapons charges. [music] Walker was found not criminally responsible by reason of insanity and was committed indefinitely to a maximum security state psychiatric hospital until medical professionals and a judge [music] can prove he is no longer a danger to the public, a process that could see him confined rest of his life. This, however, was not the end of the case. As civil rights and disability advocacy groups, including the NAACP and ACLU, used this case to demand that the city of Baltimore redirect 911 mental health calls away from armed police and toward unarmed specialized mobile crisis response teams. What do you think? Did the officers handle this mental health crisis with appropriate patience? Should an unarmed mental health team have responded to this call instead? Or was a police presence necessary? Should Walker have even been out on the streets after his previous incident? Let us know what you think in the comments. And thank you for watching this episode of Justice in America. Stay safe.