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Drug Cases Crumble As Veteran Baltimore Maryland Police Officers Detective Deryl Turner And Sgt. Allen Adkins Are Caught Lying After Attacking Woman And Illegal Strip Searches - Lying Cops Banned From Testifying In Court
July 2nd, 2008
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - It was a painful moment for Baltimore’s chief narcotics prosecutor when he recently dismissed drug-dealing charges against three men and said in court that they were not guilty.
Assistant State’s Attorney Antonio Gioia later said the case was tainted by dishonest police work by two veteran police officers, who he believes lied in court documents to justify the arrests, and at least two others.
Concerned that the Baltimore Police Department was slow to act, Gioia and his team of prosecutors launched their own investigation into Detective Deryl Turner and Sgt. Allen Adkins.
He said the investigation uncovered enough evidence of wrongdoing to ban the officers from testifying in court, and prosecutors are now dropping all cases in which their testimony is crucial to winning a conviction.
Read MorePrince George’s County Maryland Jail Guards Investigated After Inmate In Maximum Security Solitary Confinement Cell Was Choked To Death After His Arrest For Killing A Cop
July 1st, 2008
UPPER MARLBORO, MARYLAND - A man arrested in the hit-and-run death of a police officer was found strangled in his cell, and investigators focused Tuesday on guards at the suburban Maryland jail, which has a history of security lapses.
As state police took over the investigation, an attorney for inmate Ronnie L. White’s family said the young man’s attackers “took it upon themselves to be both the judge, the jury and the executioner.”
White’s death shocked and angered officials in Prince George’s County, including County Executive Jack Johnson, who likened it to “vigilante justice.”
Investigators from the FBI and state police joined the case Monday after the state medical examiner concluded that White had been strangled Sunday morning.
White, 19, was arrested early Saturday on charges of ramming a stolen pickup truck into police Cpl. Richard Findley. Findley had gotten out of his police cruiser Friday while trying to conduct a traffic stop on the truck. White allegedly struck him and dragged him for a short distance in the community of Laurel.
Read MoreFBI Investigates After Prince George’s County Maryland Police Killing Suspect Is Choked To Death While In Maximum Security Solitary Confinement Cell
July 1st, 2008
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MARYLAND - The death of a 19-year-old found slumped in his cell a day after he was jailed on charges of running over and killing a police officer has been ruled a homicide, authorities said.
The Maryland Medical Examiner ruled Monday that Ronnie White’s death in Prince George’s County Correctional Center the previous day was from asphyxiation and strangulation.
Maryland State Police and the FBI are investigating the death. The FBI is focusing on possible civil rights violations.
Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson said at a news conference Monday, “If we have vigilante justice, our society will fall apart.”
Officials said seven guards had access to White at the time of his death, as did an unspecified number of supervisors. Authorities are also investigating whether anyone from the outside had access to the inmate.
Read MoreUpdate: Suspect In Killing Of Prince George’s County Maryland Police Officer Was Choked To Death In His Solitary Maximum Security Cell
June 30th, 2008
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MARYLAND - The man accused of running down and killing a Prince George’s County police officer on Friday was choked to death in his cell over the weekend, according to sources who have seen the medical examiner’s report.
Sources tell ABC 7 reporter Brad Bell that Ronnie White was apparently choked to death Sunday morning while in his cell in the maximum security wing of the Prince George’s County Correctional Center. The sources, who saw the Medical Examiner’s report, say the cause of death was listed as asphyxiation, and that White had two small broken bones in his neck.
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey promised a thorough investigation into what happened.
“I understand that there are going to be differing views out there no matter what the decision is, but we just have to move forward and hand it the way we normally do and let the evidence and the law make the final determination,” said Ivey.
Read MoreSuspected Of Killing Prince George’s County Maryland Police Officer Richard S. Findley, Teen Mysteriously Dies In Cell
June 30th, 2008
PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, MARYLAND - A 19-year-old man accused of running down a Prince George’s County police officer died yesterday in custody, less than 36 hours after he was charged in connection with the slaying.
Ronnie L. White was pronounced dead at Prince George’s Hospital Center about an hour after he was found sitting on the floor of his cell beside his bunk, unresponsive and with no detectable pulse, officials at the county jail said.
White, of the 9100 block of Tumbleweed Run in the Laurel area of Howard County, had been charged with first-degree murder in Friday’s death of Cpl. Richard S. Findley, 39. Two men in a pickup police believe was stolen hit Findley as they fled an apartment complex in Laurel. Police say White was the driver. Findley suffered massive head trauma and died a short time later.
Read MoreBaltimore Maryland Mayor Sheila Dixon Admits To Relationship With Prominent Developer Amid Investigation Into Thousands Of Dollars In Gifts
June 25th, 2008
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - New information is released in the investigation into Mayor Sheila Dixon as she admits having a personal relationship with a prominent developer.
Mary Bubala reports prosecutors are now investigating whether Dixon received thousands of dollars in gifts from developer Ronald Lipscomb when she voted on tax breaks and zoning for his projects.
In a statement to the Eyewitness News, Mayor Dixon says, “In late 2003 and early 2004, I had a personal relationship with Ron Lipscomb. We were both separated from our respective spouses at the time, we traveled together and exchanged gifts on special occasions. Our brief relationship was personal, and it did not influence my decisions related to matters of city government.”
Dixon is expected to take questions from the media Wednesday at a press event. She did not say anything about the relationship at the Board of Estimates meeting held early Wednesday morning. If she does take questions, that may shed some light on accusations that she violated ethics ordinances, mixing business with pleasure in her relationship with Lipscomb.
Read MoreBaltimore Maryland Mayor Sheila Dixon Under Investigation For Thousands Of Dollars In Gifts From Prominent Developer Who Received Tax Breaks And Zoning Changes
June 24th, 2008
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - Prosecutors are investigating whether Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon received thousands of dollars in gifts - including fur coats - from a prominent developer whose projects benefited from tax breaks and zoning changes she supported as City Council president, a document obtained by The Sun shows.
Court records, drafted by the state prosecutor’s office in November, indicate that Dixon also went on lavish trips to Boston, the Bahamas, Chicago and Colorado with the developer, Ronald H. Lipscomb. In one instance, the two left Baltimore for New York by train hours after she had voted to approve a tax break for one of his company’s largest projects.
Yesterday, a Baltimore City grand jury began calling witnesses in the case to testify in a courthouse a block from City Hall.
Read MoreFormer New York Corrections Officer, Maryland Police Officer And Security Guard, Texas Deputy Sheriff, And Military Police Officer Paul D’Adamo Assigned The Highest Sex Offender Status After Rape Of 11 Year Old Girl And Molesting Her Younger Sister - To Be Turned Loose On The Streets In 2 Months
June 19th, 2008
TROY, NEW YORK - A former police officer has been assigned the highest sex offender status for his conviction ten years ago for raping an 11-year-old girl.
Paul D’Adamo of East Greenbush admitted in August 1998 to attempted rape and rape in the case. According to court documents, the abuse continued for about a year. D’Adamo also admitted to molesting the girl’s younger sister but was never charged in that case.
A required risk assessment hearing was held Wednesday in anticipation of D’Adamo’s scheduled release from prison in August. He was assigned a level three status, which denotes a likelihood of repeat behavior.
D’Adamo served in the military police with the Coast Guard and the Air Force. He also served as a sheriff’s deputy in Texas, a Maryland police officer and a security guard. At the time of his arrest, he was a New York state corrections officer. Appeared Here
Howard County Maryland Police Officer Under Investigation After “Accidentally” Shooting 2 Children
June 16th, 2008
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - Howard County prosecutors are investigating the shooting of two teenage boys by an undercover narcotics officer who claimed his gun accidentally discharged during an investigation of suspected drug activity in Jessup.
“Police-involved shootings are often reviewed as a matter of course by the state’s attorney’s office,” said Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office spokesman Wayne Kirwan.
Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Danielle Duclaux and Lara Weathersbee, who is head of the juvenile department, declined to comment because the boys are juveniles.
Garcia Wilson, 15, and Dwaine Usery, 14, both of Jessup, appeared to be involved in a drug transaction when the officer accidentally shot them about 5:20 p.m. April 7 on the 8300 block of Pleasant Chase Road, police said.
Drugs were found at the scene, police said.
Read MoreBaltimore Maryland Police Officer Charles Hagee Placed On List Of Known Liars - Dozens Of Criminal Cases Dropped
June 7th, 2008
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - Baltimore prosecutors have dropped dozens of criminal cases after a defense attorney discovered that the officer who helped arrest his client had once been suspended for trying to handle a domestic violence call in which he was the suspect.
Detective Charles Hagee pleaded guilty in August 2006 to two administrative charges of conduct unbecoming a police officer. In October 2004, court documents allege, he responded to a woman’s 911 call, even though he knew he was the subject of her complaint, and then attempted to misdirect other officers into chasing a fake suspect.
“Misconduct in office” encompasses a wide range of infractions. But the chief of the state’s attorney’s police misconduct division knew the allegations involved lying and deceit, yet did not pursue the matter after police told him “integrity charges” against Hagee had been dismissed, according to court records and a spokeswoman for prosecutors.
Read MoreFormer Salisbury Maryland Police Officer Tracy Ross Sparpaglione Sentenced To Just A Year In Jail For Raping Teen He Arrested
June 1st, 2008
SALISBURY, MARYLAND - A former Salisbury police officer convicted of misconduct for having sex with a woman he arrested was sentenced to a year in jail.
Twenty-seven year-old Tracy Ross Sparpaglione of Laurel was acquitted of rape, but found guilty on charges of misconduct in April.
The former officer’s attorney said an appeal was planned.
According to testimony at his bench trial, Sparpaglione had been an officer for about six months when he went to the 19-year-old woman’s home last May about four hours after arresting her for allegedly striking her mother-in-law with a filled water bottle.
Prosecutors argued that Sparpaglione intimidated the woman into having sex with him.
A defense attorney contended the sex was consensual and questioned the woman’s credibility. Appeared Here
Cumberland Maryland Police Officer Eric Bittner Suspended After Drunken Incident At A Bar And “Alcohol-Related Charges Stemming From A Traffic Stop”
May 29th, 2008
CUMBERLAND, MARYLAND - The Cumberland Times News is reporting that A Cumberland Police officer has had his police powers suspended following his arrest while off duty early Tuesday in Frostburg on alcohol-related charges stemming from a traffic stop.
Cumberland Police Capt. Kevin Ogle confirmed Tuesday that Patrolman First Class Eric Bittner has had his police powers suspended with pay “pending adjudication of the charges in court.” Bittner, a 10-year veteran, is continuing to work in the department in administrative duties.
He remains on light-duty status since suffering a work-related injury in November, Ogle said.
Frostburg Police Department said it was 12:30 a.m., Tuesday when their officers answered a call at a local tavern of an intoxicated subject refusing to leave. staff
Cumberland Maryland Police Officer Eric Bittner Charged After Drunken Motorcycle Wreck
May 28th, 2008
CUMBERLAND, MARYLAND - A Cumberland police officer has had his law-enforcement powers suspended after crashing his motorcycle while allegedly driving drunk off duty.
The department says Patrolman First Class Eric Bittner continues to do administrative work pending the outcome of charges that include attempting to elude police, driving while impaired and driving under the influence of alcohol.
The 38-year-old defendant is a 10-year veteran of the Cumberland Police Department.
Police in nearby Frostburg say Bittner crashed his Harley-Davidson on U.S. 40 early Tuesday morning after a brief chase.
They say Bittner got on the bike after agreeing not to drive when police confronted him at a Frostburg tavern an hour earlier. Appeared Here
Staph Infection Invades Prince George’s County Maryland District Police Headquarters
May 28th, 2008
HYATTSVILLE, MARYLAND - Prince George’s County police have temporarily closed the District 1 headquarters in Hyattsville after three officers contracted staph infections.
Major Kevin Davis, the district commander, says the three officers are undergoing standard medical treatment but were not hospitalized. He did not know what type of staph infection the officers contracted.
Davis says the police station is being decontaminated as a precaution. It is expected to reopen by Tuesday. He says police will maintain normal staff levels this weekend with officers and detectives working out of their police cruisers.
In 2006, the department had a staph outbreak at its former training facility.
Nutcase Former Prince George’s County Maryland Homeland Security Official Keith A. Washington Sentenced To Just 45 Years In Prison After Shooting And Killing Innocent Unarmed Furniture Deliveryman, Wounding Another
May 28th, 2008
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MARYLAND - Former Prince George’s County homeland security official Keith A. Washington was sentenced to 45 years in prison yesterday for fatally shooting one unarmed furniture deliveryman and wounding another at his Accokeek home last year.
[Finally! For months we've received "he's innocent...he was set up..." emails from one of his supporters.]
Circuit Court Judge Michael P. Whalen said the evidence contradicted Washington’s claim that he was under attack by the two larger men when he opened fire. “There wasn’t one discernible injury [on Washington] to any of the medical personnel who examined him,” said the judge, who imposed a term five years longer than prosecutors had sought.
Washington, who was also a county police officer at the time of the shooting, addressed the court for more than 10 minutes, apologizing to his family and friends for putting them through what he called a “spectacle.” He spoke of his effort to live with “courage and integrity,” and he cited historical figures, including Sojourner Truth, W.E.B. DuBois, Crispus Attucks, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.
Read MoreMaryland Authorities “Find” 81 Year Old Man On The Run For 43 Years, Who Worked Collecting Money From NY Parking Meters, Collected Veteran And Social Security While He Was “Hiding”
May 26th, 2008
MARYLAND - An 81-year-old man who was a fugitive from Maryland authorities for 43 years is back in state custody.
Willie Parker was nicknamed “Pops” by fellow inmates in North Carolina after his arrest in February. He is being held in Baltimore, said Rick Benetti, spokesman for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
Despite Parker’s advanced age, authorities were tightlipped about his return because of standard security measures. Parker has been in Maryland since Wednesday.
Parker suffers from several health problems. He served only about a quarter of his sentence for robbery with a deadly weapon before escaping from Maryland’s Eastern Correctional Camp in 1965.
Benetti said Parker soon could be eligible for a parole hearing if he’s not charged in the escape.
Read MorePolice Departments Forced To Cut Back On Fuel Use, Some Officers Fintally Have To Get Their Fat Asses Out Of Their Cars And Walk
May 23rd, 2008
NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA - With gasoline climbing toward $4 a gallon, police officers around the country are losing the right to take their patrol cars home and are being forced to double up in cruisers and walk the beat more.
The gas crunch could also put an end to the time-honored way cops leave their engines running when they get out to investigate something.
Some police chiefs think the moneysaving measures are not all bad, and might actually help them do a better job. But they worry about the loss of take-home cars, saying the sight of a cruiser parked in a driveway or out in front of a home deters neighborhood crime.
In Newberry, population 10,000, Chief Jackie Swindler is telling his officers to turn off the ignition whenever they are stopped for more than a minute or so, and to get out and walk around more.
Read MoreCrazed Drunk Veteran St. Mary’s County Maryland Deputy Sheriff David Goff Suspended, Under Investigation After Stopping, Beating, And Falsely Charging ATV Rider While Deputy Dale Reppel Watched -
May 18th, 2008
Deputy David Goff, a three-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, was suspended immediately after he participated in the arrest of Shane R. Weasenforth, 25, who was driving the ATV. Goff apparently was driving his personal truck when he stopped Weasenforth along Route 235 near Mattapany Road.
“My client is kind of like, ‘Excuse me. Who are you?’ ” David Weiskopf, Weasenforth’s attorney, said of the encounter with the deputy. “You could tell something wasn’t right with him.”
A preliminary breath test given to Goff at the scene showed he had a blood alcohol level of more than 0.14 percent, said Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron (R), adding that Goff was given another test later.
Senator Dianne Feinstein Adds Wetback Amnesty Into Emergency Iraq War Spending Bill - Fund Troops, Support Illegal Invasion Of U.S. - When Are Lawmakers Going To Follow The Will Of The American People?
May 18th, 2008
The Senate Appropriations Committee today included an amendment offered by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that would grant a five-year amnesty to 1.35 million illegal aliens working in agriculture, plus their spouses and children, and allow agribusiness to freeze wages for new guest workers at 2007 levels for the next three years. The five-year amnesty would likely be a prelude to permanent legalization for these illegal aliens.
Here’s how to contact this traitor to the American people directly (from public records):
DIANNE G FEINSTEIN (Age: 74)
BIRTH DATE: 06/22/1933
909 MONTGOMERY ST #400
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133
331 HART SOB
WASHINGTON, DC 20015
999 GREEN #2701
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133
1 POST ST #2450
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 9410
A second amendment adopted by the committee, sponsored by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), would vastly increase the number of unskilled H-2B guest workers permitted to work in this country. The Mikulski amendment would reinstate the exemption for returning H-2B workers from numerical caps on the program.
Here’s how to contact this traitor to the American people directly (from public records):
BARBARA A MIKULSKI (Age: 70)
BIRTH DATE: 07/20/1936
3704 CHARLES ST N #1003
BALTIMORE, MD 21218
(410) 224-8862
3635 OLD CT RD #STE 412
PIKESVILLE, MD 21208
9757 POLISHED STONE
COLUMBIA, MD 21046
What we witnessed today in the Senate Appropriations Committee is a cynical attempt to use Americans support for our men and women in Iraq to advance blatant special interest legislation that benefits powerful business lobbies, charged Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Tying amnesty for illegal aliens and still more cheap labor for powerful business interests to support for our troops in Iraq is an unconscionable abuse of the appropriations process.
The American public has repeatedly rejected the idea of granting amnesty to illegal aliens and has adamantly opposed increases in guest worker programs that undermine American workers - especially in difficult economic times.
It is always inappropriate for Congress to sneak unrelated and unpopular legislation past the American public by attaching it to other bills, especially appropriations measures, said Stein. But to choose this particular bill - the one that pays to maintain our military personnel who are fighting overseas - demonstrates the lengths that this Congress will go to satisfy the demands of big money interests.
FAIR is calling upon the full Senate to strip these two amendments from the bill before putting it to a vote. The U.S. economy has been shedding jobs at an alarming rate over the past several months. There is no justification whatsoever for this sort of massive amnesty and increase in foreign guest workers, concluded Stein.
SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform
Rude And Abusive Baltimore County Maryland District Judge Bruce S. Lamdin Suspended For Just 30 Days
May 15th, 2008
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - The state’s highest court suspended a Baltimore County judge yesterday for making profane and uncivil comments from the bench, issuing the harshest punishment for a Maryland judge in more than two decades and, observers said, sending a message to judges to watch their behavior.
The Court of Appeals found that District Judge Bruce S. Lamdin violated the state’s judicial code of conduct. It accepted a judicial commission’s recommendation that the judge be suspended for 30 days without pay.
Lamdin, 60, tossed profanities at defendants from the bench, joked that Circuit Court judges spend afternoons drinking rather than working and chastised a woman accused of prostitution by telling her, “Business must be good. … If I released you, you’d be scratching that itch tonight.”
Read MoreVeteran Montgomery County Maryland Police Officer John Distel Arrested, Suspended, Charged After Drunken Patrol Car Wreck
May 10th, 2008
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND - Montgomery County police officer John Distel, 32, a six-year veteran, was arrested early Friday morning for driving his police cruiser under the influence of alcohol, Montgomery County police said.
Around 1:25 a.m. Distel crashed his cruiser into a barrier on the left shoulder of the southbound side of Route 270. When officers responded to the accident they smelled alcohol on Distel’s breath and arrested him, police said.
He has been charged with driving under the influence and suspended with pay as the investigation continues. No one was injured.
Trigger-Happy Howard County Maryland Police Shoot 62 Year Old Mentally Ill Woman
May 4th, 2008
HOWARD COUNTY, MARYLAND - The husband of a 62-year-old woman shot by Howard County police is furious.
Gigi Barnett reports Bobby Harris says officers overreacted, and he is demanding answers.
Harris says police don’t have all the facts straight. Pearl Harris, 62, is now at Shock Trauma. Her family says she is doing better after being shot in the hip by police, but the family says police used too much force.
Howard County police say their officers took the appropriate steps when they shot an elderly woman at the Park View Apartments in Columbia Wednesday afternoon.
Police say Pearl has a history of mental illness, but her family says police used excessive force.
“They should have used a Taser or maybe a…that stick that they have,” said Bobby.
Bobby says police went too far.
“It was three police officers, so there was no reason. It was excessive.”
Read MoreDumbass Manchester Maryland Police Officer Lt. Glen Richards Kicked Out Of FBI Academy And Suspended For Visiting Pornography Sites In Class
April 30th, 2008
MANCHESTER, MARYLAND - A police lieutenant has been disciplined for looking at adult websites on an FBI Academy computer, leading to his dismissal from the prestigious law-enforcement school.
Lt. Glen Richards was kicked out of the academy Feb. 20, according to a department internal investigation released Friday. He was suspended for two days without pay on April 7 and 8.
The police department occasionally sends members to the academy in Quantico, Va., for training.
According to the investigation, Richards went to a computer class at 3:21 p.m. on Feb. 14, logged onto a computer and began viewing adult websites. He continued to view the sex sites after the instructor had started the class, the report states.
The FBI provided a list of 14 adult sites he had sampled and/or used, but the list is not complete, the report states.
The report does not allege Richards broke any laws.
Read MoreBaltimore County Maryland Police Spend 2 Years Investigating Fireworks
April 30th, 2008
PIKESVILLE, MARYLAND - There are things that go bump in the night, and then there are things that shake your walls, rattle your brain and send you flying out of bed.
For more than two years, the thundering booms and the blinding flashes that lit up the sky over a Baltimore County parking lot at all hours of the night mystified and infuriated the bleary-eyed residents of a high-end condominium tower next door, who could not figure out what the devil was making such a racket, or why.
Was it a UFO, lost over Pikesville?
An exploding street lamp?
Some weird, rainless thunderstorm?
A very, very large gun?
When the police were called in last September, they were skeptical but tackled the problem as they would any mystery: They questioned people, set up surveillance cameras and pondered evidence. They clambered onto roofs to search - fruitlessly - for burn marks, and consulted experts in meteorology and physics.
Read MoreMaryland Transit Police Officer James Walthall Sentenced To 5 Years In Federal Prison For Car Buring Insurance Scheme
April 29th, 2008
MARYLAND - A police officer for the Maryland Transit Administration was sentenced today to five years in prison for his role in a scheme to burn vehicles owned by transit employees for the insurance money, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Maryland.
James Walthall, 41, of Randallstown, had pleaded guilty to mail fraud in February. He had arranged to burn a vehicle he owned and two vehicles owned by other MTA employees, according to federal prosecutors, to avoid repossession and loan payments — ensuring the car insurance companies paid the outstanding loan balances.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Andre M. Davis sentenced Walthall to three years of supervised release.
“James Walthall repeatedly broke the law and violated his oath as a law enforcement officer by committing multiple arsons and defrauding insurance companies. It is especially egregious that Walthall involved other people in his scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein in a statement.
Read MoreDumbass Baltimore Maryland Police Officer Norman Stamp Killed By Baltimore Police Officers On His 44th Anniversary With Department
April 28th, 2008
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - On the night of his 44th anniversary as a Baltimore police officer, Norman Stamp drank beer at a strip club on Haven Street with members of the motorcycle club he helped found — a tight fraternity called the Chosen Sons.
Shortly after midnight, a dispute with another group led to harsh words and then punches.
A brawl spilled out into the parking lot and drew three uniformed police officers. Stamp, brass knuckles on his fist, rushed out a side door. He apparently didn’t hear or notice the uniformed Officer John Torres or his orders to stop.
Torres, a five-year veteran, felled Stamp with an electric jolt from a Taser, and the off-duty officer pulled out his service weapon.
Torres fired twice, hitting Stamp at least once in the chest. The 65-year-old struggled to his feet and said: “I didn’t know you were a cop,” according to a person familiar with the investigation.
Read MorePrison Chief Tells Lawmakers That 23 Maryland Corrections Officers Fired After Beating Inmates Won’t Be Rehired
April 25th, 2008
HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND - Maryland’s prison chief has refused two state lawmakers’ request that he reinstate 23 correctional officers fired in a brutality probe, telling the legislators that the grounds for dismissal were “very compelling.”
Sen. George C. Edwards, R-Garrett/Allegany/Washington, and Del. Kevin Kelly, D-Allegany, had urged Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Gary D. Maynard last week to reinstate the unidentified officers until a criminal investigation into allegations that they used excessive force against inmates is complete.
Maynard wrote in a letter Wednesday that the 15 officers from the medium-security Roxbury Correctional Institution near Hagerstown and eight from the maximum-security North Branch Correctional Institution near Cumberland had received due process under a law requiring state agencies to take any disciplinary action within 30 days after learning of alleged misconduct.
“I am confident that the very compelling evidence the department gathered administratively in the 30-day period far exceeded what was necessary to support the administrative action taken with regard to these individuals,” Maynard wrote.
Read MoreDeserving Dumbass Veteran Baltimore Maryland Police Officer Norman Stamp Shot And Killed By Another Officer After Joining Bar Brawl With Brass Knuckles, Pulling Gun
April 24th, 2008
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND — A veteran Baltimore City police officer was shot and killed by another officer Thursday morning after he walked out of a bar with brass knuckles to join a fight and later drew a handgun, police said.
Norman Stamp, 65, died in the incident, according to Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld. Stamp was a 44-year-veteran of the police force.
“Officer Stamp was a mentor to some and a friend to many,” Bealefeld said. “This is an incredibly difficult time.”
Stamp was shot after uniformed officers responded to a fight reported outside the Haven Place bar at Haven Street and Pulaski Highway shortly after midnight.
The brawl began after several young women entered the bar seeking employment, Bealefeld said.
“Some people made comments about them and then the fight was on,” Bealefeld said. He said the officers were trying to arrest the combatants when Stamp emerged from the bar armed with brass knuckles.
Read More238 Drug Cases Dismissed As Lying Baltimore Maryland Police Officers Sgt. Allen Adkins And Det. Deryl Turner Are Banned From Testifying In Cases By City’s State Attorney
April 20th, 2008
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - Baltimore prosecutors are dismissing dozens of drug cases from two police officers banned from testifying in court amid suspicions they have been untruthful in charging documents.
Several area defense attorneys told The Examiner that prosecutors have informed them they will no longer be calling Sgt. Allen Adkins or Detective Deryl Turner — both formerly of the Southern District — as witnesses in trials, and will be dismissing dozens of the officers’ pending cases.
“The state’s just saying, ‘We’re dropping all charges,’ ” said defense attorney Nicole Egerton, who added that two of her clients’ drug cases will be dropped. “They’ve confirmed my clients’ cases will be dismissed.”
Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld received a letter from Baltimore City State’s Attorney Patricia Jessamy on Monday informing him that her office will no longer use either officer in any criminal case.
Read MoreAnne Arundel County Maryland Dane Patrick Hall Charged After Fatal Hit And Run Crash
April 16th, 2008
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MARYLAND - An off-duty Anne Arundel County police officer linked to a deadly hit-and-run crash in Harford County in late January was indicted yesterday on 13 counts by a Harford County grand jury.
Officer Dane Patrick Hall, 28, of Frenchtown Road in Perryville, is charged with manslaughter by motor vehicle, homicide by motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, fleeing the scene of a fatal accident reasonably knowing death may occur, reckless driving, speeding and eight related offenses.
Officer Hall is expected to turn himself in to Maryland State Police by this afternoon, said Harford County State’s Attorney Joseph I. Cassilly. He then will be seen by a court commissioner and receive a pre-set $100,000 bond. A trial date has not been set.
If convicted of the two most serious crimes, Officer Hall faces up to 15 years in jail, Mr. Cassilly said.
Read MoreBaltimore Maryland Police Officer Andre Robinson Sues Departmetn After He Shot Husband Of Woman He Was “Visiting”
April 16th, 2008
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - A Baltimore City police officer suspended after shooting the husband of a woman he was “visiting” is suing the Police Department over comments made to the media by the agency’s chief spokesman.
Officer Andre Robinson recently filed a $1 million lawsuit against police spokesman Sterling Clifford and the Police Department in Baltimore City Circuit Court, alleging his privacy was invaded when Clifford spoke to the media about an internal investigation against Robinson.
In the lawsuit, Robinson’s attorney Neal Janey wrote that Clifford’s statements were “false” and “the media relied upon those false statements … with slanted and misleading headlines in numerous articles.”
Janey did not take issue with Clifford speaking about Robinson’s Oct. 13 shooting of Derrick Cook, 39, but objected to Clifford mentioning an internal affairs investigation into Robinson, which is private and confidential, according to the lawsuit.
Read More8 More Roxbury Maryland Correctional Officers Fired, Bringing Total Firings 25 After Excessive Force Against Inmates
April 11th, 2008
HAGERSTOWN, MD — Eight correctional officers at a state prison near Cumberland, Md., were fired Thursday, bringing to 25 the number of correctional officers to lose their jobs there and at Roxbury Correctional Institution south of Hagerstown in the last week amid allegations of excessive use of force.
Thursday’s firings at the maximum-security North Branch Correctional Institution followed the April 4 firing of nine RCI correctional officers and Tuesday’s firing of an additional eight officers from RCI.
Ron Smith, a Maryland Classified Employees Association labor relations specialist, said Thursday he heard that additional RCI officers might lose their jobs. Smith discussed the possibility of more firings during a meeting of the MCEA Thursday afternoon at the American Legion in Funkstown.
Read More8 More Roxbury CI Maryland Correctional Officers Fired Amid Excessive Force Investigation - Bringing Total To 17 Fired In One Week
April 9th, 2008
HAGERSTOWN, MD — Eight additional Roxbury Correctional Institution officers were fired Tuesday amid allegations of excessive force, bringing the total number of officers fired from the institution to 17 in less than a week.
The allegations stem from an incident at the prison during the weekend of March 8, a prison spokesman said in a news release.
The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services fired nine officers Friday, also amid excessive force allegations related to the March 8 incident.
Maryland State Police continue to lead a criminal investigation into the allegations.
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“We are now up to 17 officers and their families who have been robbed of their livelihood and their health insurance,” said Joe Lawrence, spokesman for the American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees.
Lawrence called the firings a “sweep.”
Read MoreHoward County Maryland Police Officer “Accidentally” Shoots 2 Children
April 9th, 2008
JESSUP, MARYLAND - Howard County police said that an undercover officer questioning two teenage boys accidentally fired a round from his gun, shooting both teens.
The incident happened in the 8300 block of Pleasant Chase Road and Summit Hill Way in Jessup around 5:30 p.m. Monday.
According to police, two undercover officers were patrolling the area for drug activity and attempted to question the two teens. Officials said that when one of the officers was getting out of his patrol car, his gun accidentally went off, shooting through both boys with one round.
A 14-year-old boy was struck in the torso and taken to Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, and the other boy, a 15-year-old, was hit in the arm and transported to Howard County General Hospital, police said.
Police said neither injury appeared to be life-threatening.
According to witnesses, there was no indication of an altercation prior to the incident.
Read More9 Roxbury Maryland Correctional Officers Fired After Inmate Beatings
April 5th, 2008
HAGERSTOWN, MD - Nine officers at Roxbury Correctional Institution were fired Friday by the state prison agency in a continuing investigation of alleged brutality against inmates at two institutions.
No criminal charges have been filed, according to a release from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
The agency announced March 14 that eight officers had been recommended for termination for their alleged involvement in the beating of an inmate March 8 and 9 at the medium-security facility that houses about 1,750 inmates.
The fired officers include at least one supervisor - a lieutenant - and a number of lower-ranking officers, said Steve Berger, western Maryland union representative for the American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees. He said the union will represent the officers in appeals.
Berger declined to identify the officers. Mark Vernarelli, a spokesman for the state Division of Correction, said he didn’t know their names.
Read MoreState Of Maryland To Pay $400,000 To 6 Victims Of Racial Profiling By State Police Officers
April 3rd, 2008
ANNAPOLIS, MD — A 10-year-old lawsuit alleging racial profiling by state police was resolved Wednesday when state officials approved a $400,000 settlement for six victims.
The six will receive $20,000 each, and $180,000 will go toward legal fees. Another $100,000 will pay for an independent consultant to advise Maryland State Police on how well policy changes have worked.
Lt. William Berry, a plaintiff pulled over in 1996, said he hoped the settlement and its stipulations will send a message that racial profiling won’t be tolerated.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Berry, a member of the North Carolina National Guard. “I think it’s wonderful. I look forward to a number of the things that they have agreed to.”
Reggie Shuford, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union’s Racial Justice Program, said the settlement “presents a model for how to seriously deal with an issue of this nature.”
Read MoreMaryland 12 Year Old Boy Does The Right Thing And Kills Man Choking His Mother
April 2nd, 2008
MARYLAND - The 12-year-old boy had finished his homework and was playing a video game when he heard his mother cry out. Rushing to her aid, he found her on the kitchen floor, straddled by a fellow resident of their Prince George’s County boarding house, the man’s hands wrapped tightly around her neck, the boy said yesterday.
“I kept saying, ‘Stop! Stop! Stop!’ ” the boy said, describing the events of Monday night. “But he just ignored me. He didn’t stop. He just kept hurting her.”
The boy said he grabbed a knife and swung, slashing 64-year-old Salomon Noubissie across the neck and opening an artery. Noubissie was fatally wounded.
The mother, Cheryl Stamp, said she did not immediately understand what had happened. “What did you do?” she said she asked her son.
“He didn’t say anything,” she said. “But I knew when I looked in his eyes. I said, ‘Oh, Lord.’ “
Read MoreFederal Lawsuit Charges Baltimore Police With Holding Family Hostage, Stealing Thousands Of Dollars - 17 Plaintiffs Involved In Suit Against City - Flex Squad
April 1st, 2008
BALTIMORE, MD - Craig Kemp, a Baltimore man who said that a rogue squad of police officers held his family hostage and stole thousands of dollars from him in November 2005, is among 17 plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit filed yesterday against the city and the Baltimore Police Department.
The civil rights action claims unconstitutional detentions and warrantless searches by Special Enforcement Team officers who worked mostly in Southeast Baltimore. The plaintiffs allege that the behavior was systemic and tolerated by the Baltimore Police Department leadership and city officials.
The unit has previously been accused of drawing up fictional or embellished charging documents, prompting city prosecutors to stop using its members as witnesses. Prosecutors dismissed more than 100 Circuit Court cases, mostly felony drug charges, that the unit’s officers investigated from 2004 to 2006.
Read MoreMaryland State Regulation Makes To Make It Illegal To Feed Black Bears, Even If You Don’t Feed Black Bears
April 1st, 2008
HAGERSTOW, MD — State wildlife regulators are poised to adopt a regulation that would outlaw feeding of black bears, even if you didn’t mean to.
The rule would establish unspecified penalties for failing to remove bird feeders, garbage and other attractants after one has received a warning.
The Department of Natural Resources says the rule would help reduce situations in which bears become a nuisance and threaten human safety.
The agency says it responded to 61 complaints last year about bears getting into people’s trash.
Lawsuit Charges Baltimore Maryland Police Officers With Holding Family Hostage And Stealing Thousands Of Dollars From Them
March 29th, 2008
BALTIMORE, MD - Craig Kemp, a Baltimore man who said that a rogue squad of police officers held his family hostage and stole thousands of dollars from him in November 2005, is among 17 plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit filed yesterday against the city and the Baltimore Police Department.
The civil rights action claims unconstitutional detentions and warrantless searches by Special Enforcement Team officers who worked mostly in Southeast Baltimore. The plaintiffs allege that the behavior was systemic and tolerated by the Baltimore Police Department leadership and city officials.
The unit has previously been accused of drawing up fictional or embellished charging documents, prompting city prosecutors to stop using its members as witnesses. Prosecutors dismissed more than 100 Circuit Court cases, mostly felony drug charges, that the unit’s officers investigated from 2004 to 2006.
Read MoreVeteran Baltimore Maryland Police Officer Troy Jacquan Gee Sr. Arrested, Suspended, Charged With Child Molestation
March 28th, 2008
BALTIMORE, MD - A Baltimore police officer has been suspended without pay after being arrested and charged this week with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old female relative, according to charging documents filed in court and a spokesman for the Police Department.
Officer Troy Jacquan Gee Sr., 32, who has been on the force for nearly 11 years, was charged with four sex offense counts, two counts of assault and one count of sexual child abuse, according to police charging documents filed on Thursday.
Police said the incident o