By Mike Hellgren
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BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — The daughter of Gregory Turnipseed, a 71-year-old Baltimore City employee, is speaking about the senseless attack on the job that cost him his life.
Turnipseed, a Department of Transportation worker, was trying to assist in a dispute over a parking spot on St. Paul Street when police said Kiannah Bonaparte and her 15-year-old daughter brutally beat him last month.
He died from his injuries the day before Thanksgiving.
Daughter’s heartbreak
Turnipseed’s devastated daughter told WJZ Investigates that justice must be served against the woman and her teenage daughter authorities said attacked him.
“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.”
She is still in shock about the attack that took her father’s life.
The attack happened in the middle of the day October 17th. Charging documents reveal Turnipseed, while on the job for the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, was beaten after he asked a woman whether she was leaving a parking spot as another vehicle was waiting.
“I don’t want to say you should never help out people, but once you see things are getting heated, don’t engage — just leave it alone,” Turnipseed’s daughter said. “I’m taking it moment by moment. It’s very shocking. I thought I had a lot more time left with my dad.”
According to police, a 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 … “
“It seems that a 15-year-old instigated it and felt comfortable doing this in front of their parent,” Gerri Turnipseed said. “It’s very shocking.”
Woman facing charges Bonaparte, 49, is facing assault charges that police said would be upgraded. WJZ has learned she was already on supervised probation for a theft last year.
Police have not commented on the juvenile’s possible punishment.
“Justice would be both of these individuals be prosecuted and not be considered manslaughter,” Turnipseed’s daughter said. “I want this to be a lesson to folks that your actions have consequences and to think before you do things.”
Turnipseed’s grandson said the suspect was halfway in a lane of St. Paul Street and had been arguing with the other driver and called his grandfather disrespectful names.
He said his grandfather was only encouraging her to either get out of the street or fully pull into the spot.
Bonaparte is next set to appear in court December 11th.
A beloved father All Gerri Turnipseed has now are the memories of her father.
“He was very involved. He would take me to my sporting events. He would take me to auditions to be in commercials,” she said. “When I was little, I was in pageants, and he would take me to all my practices. Most people would think the mom would do that, but my dad would do that. He always wanted his children to succeed — and the same thing with my brother.”
She said her dad was a sharp dresser, an engineer who attended Towson University and looked forward to the next chapter in his life.
“You never expect this type of tragedy to happen, and it hurts a lot because I know he has had talks with me and his friends and other family members about being excited for the next chapter in his life after retiring,” she said. “So I know he was looking forward to spending more time with friends and family and possibly moving back to California. It really hurts my heart that that won’t get to happen.”
She thanked the community for the outpouring of support following the news of her father’s death.
“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.”
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