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Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced attempted murder charges against a police officer stemming from the 2014 shooting of an unarmed man.

Officer Wesley Cagle was charged with attempted first and second degree murder, first and second degree assault, and use of a handgun in a crime of violence for shooting burglary suspect Michael John Johansen, NBC affiliate WBALTV reports. The incident happened in December of last year, when police were called after a masked man with a shiny object in his hand was seen breaking into a house on East Monument Street.

The first officers on the scene — Officer Keven Leary and Officer Isiah Smith — shot Johansen multiple times before he fell to the ground. Cagle then approached Johansen and shot him in the groin.

Johansen says the veteran cop cursed at him before the shooting.

“Officer Cagle positioned himself overtop of Johansen at which time Johansen stated, ‘What did you shoot me with? A bean bag?’ and Officer Cagle replied, ‘No, a .40-caliber, you piece of (expletive).”

A weapon was not found on Johansen or near the scene of the shooting.

Mosby told reporters Wednesday evening that charges were brought against Cagle because the suspect was no longer a threat after he was shot by Leary and Smith. They were not charged with a crime.

“In light of recent events, the commissioner and I recognize the need to be transparent and forthcoming regarding any serious allegation of police brutality or misconduct,” Mosby said.

Cagle, who worked with the Baltimore Police Department for 14 years, was placed on administrative leave in December and officially suspended in January. He turned himself in on Wednesday.

Johansen was charged with burglary in the December incident. Cagle’s shot resulted in Johansen suffering a shattered pelvis and losing a kidney and his spleen.

“He was calling me all sorts of names and he shot me while I was on the ground,” Johansen said of Cagle. “To be honest with you, thank God (Cagle) can’t shoot that good. I’m not going to lie about it. About time they did the right thing.”

Interim Police Commissioner Kevin Davis says the case hurt the Police Department, but stood behind Mosby’s decision.

SOURCE: WBALTV | VIDEO CREDIT: NDN

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