Beloved Baltimore City transportation employee dies after assault in parking dispute

Baltimore City transportation employee Gregory Turnipseed, 71, has died after being assaulted while trying to resolve a downtown parking dispute.

Officials said the incident occurred on October 17 on St. Paul Street near Mercy Medical Center.

Police reported a teenage girl punched Turnipseed, while her mother, Kiannah Bonaparte, 49, kicked him before driving away.

According to police, the 15-year-old girl in the car “became irate, exited the vehicle, and began punching him in the face several times.”

Turnipseed tried to stop the girl from attacking him. He told police the mother, “jumped on his back, causing him to fall to the ground. [She] then kicked him in the head multiple times, breaking his glasses, and resulting in abrasions and swelling to his head. ”

Charges To Be Upgraded After Death Baltimore City Transportation Employee’s Death

Turnipseed, a 14‑year veteran of the Department of Transportation, later suffered a brain bleed.

He died a day before Thanksgiving.

Authorities confirmed that police arrested Bonaparte on Nov. 15 and originally charged her with assault.

Officials announced they will upgrade the charges following Turnipseed’s death. They have not released what those charges are.

Community Demands Justice for Gregory Turnipseed

Gregory Turnipseed

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Family and friends remembered Turnipseed as a beloved father, grandfather, loved his family and always tried to help others.

They described the attack as a senseless tragedy.

Turnipseed’s daughter spoke with CBS Baltimore WJX, stating her father was an engineer who graduated from Townson University.

She, along with loved ones, are demanding accountability and justice.

“This really puts into perspective maybe how to treat people or react to people out on the street,” Gerri Turnipseed said. “I know sometimes people have road rage or people have tempers or they don’t have patience. We don’t think these things will happen. We think it’s OK to maybe have a back and forth with someone, and you just never know what they’re going through, their intentions, if they’re a good person.”

“I want my dad to be remembered for being a smart man, being a hardworking man — not a perfect man,” she said. “But he loved his family and he loved his friends very much. So that’s what I want him to be remembered for.”

City Responds to Tragedy

Baltimore officials expressed condolences to Turnipseed’s family.

They emphasized his dedication to public service and his commitment to helping residents.

Community leaders said his death highlights urgent concerns about public safety.