Hagerstown man denied third bail modification for double shooting charges
Jan. 26—A Hagerstown man who is accused of shooting two other people in Frederick last year was denied bail again on Thursday.
Raven Justin Cosley, 42, is charged with attempted first-degree murder. He was arrested on July 21, 2022, in connection with a double shooting on July 5, 2022, outside Country Hills Apartments on Heather Ridge Drive.
Cosley is accused of shooting one man in the pelvic region and another man in the chest during a fight, according to charging documents. Both had to be flown to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.
Cosley was originally charged with two counts each of first- and second-degree assault, and several reckless endangerment and firearms charges, charging documents show. Since then, he was additionally charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder and additional firearms counts.
On Thursday, Cosley was in Frederick County Circuit Court to request that bail be set, so he could be released while awaiting trial. He previously tried twice in circuit court and twice in district court to have bail set, according to online court records.
In the courtroom Thursday were many of Cosley's family members.
His wife, Angel Brooks, addressed Frederick County Circuit Court Judge Theresa Adams and showed Adams pictures of each of her and Cosley's five children.
One son is trying to go to culinary school, Brooks said, but it might not be possible with Cosley incarcerated and the family living off one income.
Brooks said she can't drive her other sons to football practice because of her work hours, and the coach recommended their sons take Lyft to go to practice.
"I need his help financially and mentally," Brooks said.
Cosley's attorney, Bernard Semler, also argued that Cosley's family needs him. He said Cosley doesn't have a violent criminal past. The last time he had trouble with the police was more than a decade ago, and all of his previous criminal history was misdemeanors, Semler said.
However, Deputy State's Attorney Kirsten Brown said the dangerousness of what happened on July 5 is why Cosley should continue to be held without bail. Cosley drove from Hagerstown to Frederick, and shot two men, critically injuring them, she said.
"The dangerousness aspect has not changed," she said.
Adams, like the judges before her, denied Cosley's request for a bail modification.
"I've got an obligation to protect the entire community," she said. Cosley shook his head and let out a breath before he was led away.
According to charging documents, at around 12:59 a.m. on July 5, police responded to Country Hills Apartments at 1000 Heather Ridge Drive for a report of a shooting. At the scene, police found about 50 people surrounding a man who was lying on the ground with a gunshot wound on his pelvis.
Police discovered that the second man was driven to Frederick Health Hospital with a gunshot wound on his chest, charging documents said.
A couple of days later, charging documents said, someone anonymously reported to police that Cosley was allegedly the shooter, and had video to show them.
The tipster told police in charging documents that the shooting stemmed from an earlier incident in which Cosley's son allegedly assaulted a man. The assaulted man was not one of the people who was shot.
On July 5, the assaulted man approached Cosley and his son in the courtyard of Country Hills Apartments with a second man — also not one of the men shot — charging documents said. After a discussion, Cosley was punched in the face and knocked to the ground, charging documents said.
Cosley's son began fighting the two men, charging documents said.
Then, two other men ran toward the fight.
As they ran, the video shows a man, identified as Cosley, pointing a gun at the running men. Shots are heard, charging documents said, and one of the men is seen falling to the ground.
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