As far as I understand it, being a police commissioner generally involves more meetings and reports than it does car chases and dramatic takedowns. (Granted, most of my knowledge comes from repeated viewings of police procedurals, so take it with a grain of salt.) But Anthony W. Batts has clearly decided to put the “mission” back in “police commissioner.” Seriously, this guy just can’t stop pulling stunts.
First, there was the time when a suspect scuffling with police drew a loaded gun. Commissioner Batts was there! He drew his own gun, held it to the suspect’s head, and then punched him effectively enough that the suspect dropped his weapon.
That was back in May. This week, Batts was driving on Belair Road in the middle of the afternoon when he and his detail spotted a guy with a gun chasing another guy, according to the Baltimore Sun. The officers, Batts included, closed in on the guy with the gun, emerged from their vehicle with weapons drawn, and snagged him. (The other guy, who had been shot once in the back, is currently in stable condition.)
While it’s cool to have a police commissioner who does more than just eat donuts (sorry, power rings), we also hope that Commissioner Batts doesn’t get too cocky about his action-hero moves. As long as he doesn’t try to rappel from a helicopter or take down a suspect on top of a moving train, he’ll probably be fine.
