Murder charge for son of Baltimore police commander

The son of a Baltimore police commander charged with bringing peace to the city rocked by police-community tensions is charged with murder, assault and weapons violations, according to Baltimore police and news reports.

Melvin Russell, 28, was arrested Tuesday after a fight with his roommate involving a knife resulted in multiple stab wounds for both men and the other man passing away at Baltimore's Sinai Hospital, Baltimore police said. Police did not release the identity of the victim, who was 49, they said.

Russell is the son of Lt. Col. Melvin Russell, who heads up the police department's Community Collaboration Unit. Russell has worked to build amicable ties between Baltimore police and community members, particularly in the wake of the April death of Freddie Gray, who suffered a severe spinal cord injury while in police custody. Six officers have been charged in the case.

The Russell case erupted shortly after 6 p.m. Monday, when police responded to a report of a serious stabbing and found suspect Russell suffering multiple stab wounds, police said. After investigating, police discovered that Russell was in a fight with his roommate earlier. Shortly after, police responded to another call regarding a stabbing and found the 49-year-old man suffering from multiple stab wounds.

In a March 2014 profile of the elder Russell, The Afro-American Newspapers reported that the police commander also is an assistant pastor at his church and credited him with becoming nationally known for community relations strategies that included giving respect to residents.

"I always ask first, 'Do you want to see peace, hope and love restored to the community?' "Russell told the news organization. "If we can use that as our foundation, we can accomplish a lot."