Defense Attorney in Glen Burnie Fatal Shooting: “No One Should Have to Choose Between Personal Safety and Freedom"
A defense attorney representing a man charged in a fatal Glen Burnie shooting says the case centers on a claim of self-defense, telling Report Annapolis News in an interview, “In a free world, no one should have to choose between their personal safety and their freedom.”
Towson defense attorney Martin E. Cohen represents 32 year old Baltimore resident Ioannis Georgios Giorgakis, who faces charges in connection with the April 18, 2026, death of 27-year-old Michael Joseph Hayes. Cohen also asserted his client’s innocence, stating he does not believe Giorgakis committed murder.
In the interview with Report Annapolis, Cohen, emphasized that the incident must be viewed through the lens of personal safety, suggesting that Giorgakis was faced with a critical, split-second decision. He further stated that any actions taken by his client were done in self defense.
According to the statement of probable cause, officers with the Anne Arundel County Police Department were dispatched at approximately 9:15 p.m. on April 18 to a business on Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard for a reported shooting. A 911 caller, identified in the documents as business owner Ioannis Giorgakis, told dispatchers he had shot someone who was trying to fight him.
Upon arrival, officers encountered a group gathered outside the front of the business. When asked who had the firearm, an individual later identified through Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration records as Giorgakis allegedly responded, “I have it, it’s on me,” before placing his hands in the air. Officers conducted a frisk and recovered a handgun from a holster in the front waistband of his pants. He was detained at the scene.
Officers located an unconscious male with multiple apparent gunshot wounds in the front lot of the business near Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard. The individual was identified as Michael Joseph Hayes and transported by fire department personnel to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead by a physician.
The documents further state police had received two separate calls for service earlier that day regarding Hayes allegedly causing a disturbance at the business, both reportedly made by Giorgakis.
Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage from the establishment. According to the allegations in the statement of probable cause, the video shows Hayes exiting the front door of the business followed by Giorgakis and another employee. Hayes appears to be yelling or speaking with them before taking what is described as a fighting stance, with his shoulders squared, fists clenched, and arms raised near his head.
The footage allegedly shows Giorgakis kicking Hayes in the hip area, causing him to move backward. Hayes then advanced toward Giorgakis with his hands still raised. As Hayes moved forward, Giorgakis allegedly fired multiple shots. Hayes then ran toward the roadway, where he was later located by responding officers.
The documents further allege Giorgakis exited the camera’s view shortly after the shooting. Surveillance footage indicates he was standing at the time the shots were fired. Investigators recovered three spent shell casings in the area where he had been positioned, according to the statement.
Mr. Giorgakis, who remains innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony violent crime. During a bail review hearing, Mr. Giorgakis was ordered to be held without bond at the Jennifer Road Detention Center.
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