Family of Baltimore arabber Bilal “BJ” Abdullah Jr. files civil lawsuit after fatal 2025 police shooting

Lawsuit follows state decision not to bring criminal charges

The family of Bilal “BJ” Yusuf-Muhammad Abdullah Jr., a Baltimore arabber known for selling produce from a horse-drawn cart, has filed a civil lawsuit over his fatal shooting by Baltimore police in 2025. The suit alleges wrongful death and seeks to hold individual officers and the city accountable for the encounter that ended Abdullah’s life.

Abdullah, 36, was shot on June 17, 2025, near Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street in West Baltimore’s Upton area. He was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead.

What investigators documented about the June 17 encounter

A state investigative report released in late 2025 outlined a timeline beginning with a tip describing a man carrying a concealed handgun in a bag in the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor. Officers in an unmarked vehicle arrived and encountered Abdullah, who was carrying a crossbody bag and matched the description provided in the tip. The report states that when officers approached, Abdullah fled, leading to a foot chase and a physical struggle as an officer caught up to him.

The report describes a sequence in which a firearm in Abdullah’s bag discharged during the struggle and later alleges that Abdullah drew the gun and fired as officers retreated or took cover. The report states that three officers exchanged gunfire with Abdullah and that one officer suffered a gunshot wound to a lower extremity. A firearm was recovered at the scene. The same report concluded there were insufficient grounds to pursue criminal charges against the involved officers under Maryland law, while noting that its analysis did not address civil liability.

Points of dispute now moving into civil court

The civil filing places the shooting under a different legal lens than a criminal review, focusing on constitutional claims, police tactics, and whether the force used was reasonable under the circumstances. In public statements surrounding the lawsuit’s filing, family representatives have challenged the basis for the initial police contact and disputed key elements of the official narrative.

Why the case has broader resonance in Baltimore

Abdullah’s death drew attention not only because it involved a police shooting, but also because of his role in a historic Baltimore tradition. Arabbers have long served neighborhoods where access to fresh produce can be limited, operating highly visible routes with horse-drawn wagons.

The lawsuit is expected to examine, among other issues, the decision-making that led to the encounter, the escalation from attempted contact to a shooting, and the aftermath at the scene. Civil litigation can also expand fact-finding through discovery, including records, communications, and witness testimony that are not always made public during criminal declination reviews.

• Incident date: June 17, 2025
• Location: Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street, West Baltimore
• Outcome: Abdullah fatally shot; one officer wounded; firearm recovered
• Status: Civil lawsuit filed; criminal charges previously declined at the state level

The case now moves forward in federal civil litigation, where a judge and, potentially, a jury will evaluate claims tied to the officers’ actions and the city’s liability.