Baltimore teacher accused of shooting police officer mentored students after school; earlier gun conviction unknown to program founder

Brooke Conrad

The Baltimore Sun

March 20, 2025

Andrew Robert Britt, the 27-year-old Baltimore City elementary school teacher accused of attempted murder in the shooting of a Baltimore County police officer last week, was a mentor at an after-school boxing program that sought to help keep kids in school.

He worked four days a week at Umar Boxing, on the corner of North and Druid Hill avenues, alongside his father, who declined to be interviewed Wednesday.

The Baltimore Sun observed one of Britt’s teaching sessions during a visit to Umar Boxing in November.

“It’s a long day, but it’s well worth it,” Britt told The Sun at the time, speaking of his teaching jobs at Liberty Elementary School in Baltimore and Umar Boxing.

“Baltimore is a tough place. [Kids] have to navigate that through elementary school, middle school, high school and after high school,” he said. “So, anytime I can actually impart some knowledge on them so that they can use it — if I reach one person — that’s cool.”

Britt has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two firearms violations and assault in the March 13 shooting of a Baltimore County Police officer identified as J. Riddick. According to police, Britt spoke to one officer outside the Wilkens police precinct, then produced a handgun and fired. The officer ducked behind a car and returned fire, with another officer and Riddick drawing their weapons. Britt is alleged to have shot Riddick, before collapsing himself.

Britt was shot in the lower half of his body during the exchange and was receiving treatment at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Riddick, who was shot in his abdomen, was operated on and released Sunday afternoon.

Police have provided no motive for the shooting.

According to online court records, Britt has a prior misdemeanor conviction for possessing a loaded firearm in in a vehicle in Dorchester County in 2021. He was sentenced to three years in jail in that case, with all but 30 days of the time suspended.

Thirteen months later, Baltimore City Public Schools hired him to teach at Liberty Elementary School.

City Schools referred The Sun to administrative regulations governing staffing in schools when asked why Britt’s conviction didn’t disqualify him from employment.

It shows that a school board is prohibited from hiring anyone convicted of a crime “involving certain sexual offenses, child sexual abuse, and crimes of violence” and that a “criminal history records check, including fingerprinting, [is required] prior to completion of the hiring process.” A Baltimore City Public Schools employee handbook says the same, and state statute defines the crimes that would bar a person’s hiring.

Misdemeanor gun charges don’t appear to affect employment eligibility.

“Under Maryland law, not all gun-related charges automatically disqualify an individual from employment with a school system.” the school system said in a statement to The Sun on Wednesday. “For instance, a firearm-related offense involving a crime of violence would result in immediate disqualification. However, if a charge does not fall under the categories requiring automatic disqualification, City Schools undertakes a thorough review process, consistent with all applicable laws.

“In Mr. Britt’s case, we conducted the required follow-up in accordance with our established procedures.”

Marvin “Doc” Cheatham, a past president of the Baltimore NAACP who leads a neighborhood association in West Baltimore, where Britt lives, said hiring someone with Britt’s criminal record “was not a wise decision” on the part of the Baltimore City Public School System.

“Many of us make mistakes in life, and everybody at that young age should be given a second chance,” Cheatham said. “But I really think [city schools’] process of procedure needs a second thought… We don’t want to jeopardize our kids.”

Cheatham added that there was “too short a turnaround time” after Britt’s conviction “for him to be with our children.”