More than two dozen correctional officers in Baltimore were charged with using excessive force on prisoners at state-operated jails.
What We Know:
- According to Baltimore Mayor Bernard Young, 25 officers have been charged with using excessive force. All of the officers were members of a tactical unit operating inside four detention facilities in Baltimore and Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
- The indictment says that the officers used social media to publicly promote their “reputation and successes,” and they furtively used winks, nods, and other body language to warn each other about the presence of supervisors and other non-members.
- Governor Larry Hogan said in a statement: “Our correctional officers have one of the most difficult jobs in all of public safety, and we will not let the criminal behavior of the few tarnish the great work of the nearly 5,000 dedicated officers who serve with distinction every single day.”
- Corruption has been seen in many instances amongst Baltimore’s city officials. Past mayor Catherine Pugh pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from sales of her self-published children’s books and former mayor, Sheila Dixon, left office in 2010 as part of a plea deal for misappropriating about $500 in gift cards meant for needy families.
The indicted officers face a combined total of 236 counts, including charges of assault and participating in a criminal gang.
