Baltimore man sentenced to 12 years for brutal carjacking of police detective

In a troubling incident involving law enforcement, a 23-year-old man named Trevon Gardner from Baltimore was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison following an assault and carjacking of Baltimore Police Detective Aaron Cain. The event occurred on May 3, 2022, when Detective Cain was at a 7-Eleven in the Cherry Hill neighborhood, wearing his police uniform, which included a BPD badge and service weapon. As he returned to his vehicle, Gardner and two accomplices approached him, with one displaying a handgun and striking Cain near his head, causing him to fall and sustain injuries. During the assault, the suspects kicked and punched the detective before stealing his marked police vehicle. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported. Gardner attempted to evade capture by changing his clothes at a nearby restaurant after abandoning the stolen vehicle. Law enforcement soon apprehended him and a 16-year-old accomplice near the crash site, while the third suspect managed to escape. This alarming case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program designed to reduce violent crime and strengthen community-police relations. The incident raised significant concerns about safety in the community, highlighting the vulnerability of even law enforcement officers to violent crime. The sentencing of Trevon Gardner has underscored the seriousness with which such crimes are treated, as well as the ongoing efforts by federal and local authorities to combat violent crime and improve safety in Baltimore.