A disabled Elkton, Maryland man will not face charges after fatally stabbing a 14-year-old during a brutal group assault linked to a local gang. Prosecutors ruled the incident was a clear case of self-defense under Maryland law.
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ELKTON, MD (2-minute read) — A 14-year-old boy is dead and a disabled man has been cleared of all charges after a violent gang-related confrontation in Elkton, Maryland, was ruled as a case of justified self-defense.
The July 18 incident began when a group of nine individuals, allegedly connected to a local gang, ambushed a man identified only as “Ty” over a drug debt. Ty, who has a physical disability and an amputated left arm, was followed and attacked with makeshift weapons including a two-by-four and a shovel in the Hollingsworth Manor neighborhood.
Surveillance footage captured the assault, showing that 14-year-old Jordan Collins initiated the attack by striking Ty. Other members of the group joined in, beating Ty as he tried to retreat. Collins later chased Ty with the two-by-four just moments after another attacker hit him repeatedly with a shovel.
Ty responded by using a pocket knife to defend himself, fatally stabbing Collins once. Prosecutors determined that Ty made every reasonable effort to avoid the conflict and did not provoke the attack. The Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office officially ruled the stabbing a lawful act of self-defense under Maryland law.
Gang-Linked Assault
After the stabbing, four individuals dropped Collins off at Union Hospital in the back of a pickup truck and quickly fled the scene. When police questioned them, they initially claimed ignorance, but later pointed authorities to the likely scene of the attack, where investigators found blood and a bloodied two-by-four.
Further investigation led police to discover that Ty had been harassed earlier that day by three women at a Wawa convenience store. Video evidence showed they blocked him from leaving and later followed him. The same women were seen during the Hollingsworth Manor assault, with one actively participating and the other two observing.
Although Ty declined to press charges against his attackers, authorities later discovered a retaliatory plot. Three individuals, Xavier Santana, Bobbie Perkins, and Timothy Dickerson, were indicted for attempting to use a Molotov cocktail against Ty.
Safety Tip: If you carry a firearm or any tool for self-defense, always know your state’s laws on justified use of force. Avoid confrontations when possible, but be prepared to act decisively if you must protect your life.
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