BALTIMORE — The charges stem from an event on Sunday afternoon in the 1300 block of Lancaster Street in Harbor East, Baltimore. City fire officials stated rescue crews were called around 3 p.m. Sunday for a water rescue after police received a call that two men needed to be rescued.

The argument between James Fitzsimmons and James Britt occurred behind a Whole Foods. Police obtained surveillance video showing James Fitzsimmons and Britt fighting in an alley before Britt retreated toward the water. The footage shows James Fitzsimmons chasing Britt to the water's edge and pushing him into the harbor.

James Fitzsimmons admitted to getting into a brawl with Britt. He told investigators that Britt jumped into the water on his own volition. James Fitzsimmons briefly entered the water with Britt during the altercation.

Britt's girlfriend told James Fitzsimmons that Britt could not swim. After Britt entered the water, Fitzsimmons walked away. Fitzsimmons was reported to have said, 'Oh well,' according to law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation.

Rescue divers pulled Britt from the harbor. James Fitzsimmons had climbed out of the water by the time police arrived. Britt, 37, of Baltimore, died after being pushed into the water. He was declared dead at a hospital.

No attorney is listed for James Fitzsimmons in court records. James Fitzsimmons is scheduled to appear in court on August 27.

The case presents conflicting accounts of how Britt entered the water. Surveillance footage depicts a chase and a push, while Fitzsimmons claims Britt jumped voluntarily. The statement from Britt's girlfriend regarding his inability to swim adds context to the severity of the incident.

Baltimore is a city in Maryland, United States, where this legal proceeding will take place. The charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and assault reflect the gravity of the outcome. The court will need to reconcile the visual evidence with the defendant's statement during the upcoming proceedings.

Police reviewed multiple camera angles from nearby businesses and confirmed the sequence of events leading up to Britt’s fall into the harbor. Medical examiners ruled the cause of death as drowning, with no signs of pre-existing medical conditions contributing to the fatality. The Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City confirmed that Fitzsimmons was taken into custody without incident following the incident. Community members have expressed concern over public safety in the Harbor East area, though authorities have not linked this incident to broader crime trends. The National Transportation Safety Board does not regulate harbor incidents involving pedestrian access areas, so local jurisdiction remains with the Baltimore Police Department.

Why It Matters

The prosecution must reconcile surveillance footage showing a push with the defendant's claim that the victim jumped voluntarily. This discrepancy determines whether the charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter hold, given the victim's known inability to swim. The outcome hinges on how the court weighs visual evidence against the accused's statement regarding the fatal entry into the water.