By Alexis Taylor
AFRO Managing Editor
Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley announced a suspension of “police powers” for an officer seen on video attempting to hit a man with his squad car after a verbal altercation.
“The Baltimore Police Department is aware of a social media video depicting concerning actions of a Baltimore Police Officer. The department has opened an internal affairs investigation into this incident and are reviewing the officer’s body-worn camera. The officer’s police powers have been suspended,” said Baltimore Police Department officials via their official Meta (Facebook) account on Oct. 29.
The video in question has been uploaded to multiple social media platforms. One social media user who posted the video to Instagram tags it as an incident that happened in the 21215 zipcode of Park Heights.
In it, a Baltimore Police officer can be seen speaking to a Black man, while others question why he is being stopped. The man begins to walk away, down an empty alley. At that point, the officer gets into his squad car and rapidly accelerates towards the man, who runs into an open grassy area along the alley, trying to escape. The officer then leaves the pavement of the alleyway and trails the man into the open greenspace. He recklessly uses his vehicle to chase down the man who is still on foot, ultimately crashing his vehicle into private property in what seems like attempts to run the man down and hit him with the squad car.
“What is seen in this video is not only disturbing, but alarming,” said Police Commissioner Richard Worley in the statement. “This is not how we expect our officers to behave and this incident does not reflect the values or standards of the Baltimore Police Department.”
“Our department continues to work hard to rebuild trust and change the narrative of our department and our city,” Worley continued. “We remain committed to holding officers accountable for their actions and continuing the work of rebuilding trust with our community.”
Mayor Brandon M. Scott also weighed in on the video.
“The contents of the video are deeply concerning. The officer in question has been suspended and the situation is under investigation,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott, in a statement released on the incident. “This investigation will be thorough, in accordance with all laws and regulations, to ensure proper accountability.”
Stay tuned to AFRO.com for updates.
