Man pushes stranger into Baltimore harbor, ignores warning and walks away
A 36-year-old man forced an unfamiliar 37-year-old into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and left him to drown after being told the victim could not swim.
Police reports indicate that James Fitzsimmons, 36, engaged in a dispute with James Britt, 37, near a Whole Foods store in Baltimore and pursued him to the Inner Harbor. Fitzsimmons forced Britt into the water even after Britt’s girlfriend warned that he could not swim. After the incident, divers rescued Britt, but he later died at a hospital.
Fitzsimmons admitted to a brawl but claimed Britt jumped into the water on his own; however, surveillance video captured Fitzsimmons chasing and pushing him. The suspect entered the water briefly before climbing out, and authorities responded to a rescue call after the two men were reported missing. Fitzsimmons is now charged with homicide.
Why it matters
The case highlights a fatal assault in a public waterfront area and raises concerns about public safety and accountability.
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