Posted on 02/05/2018 10:38:25 AM PST by Theoria
One officer involved in the city's massive corruption scandal said officers kept the replicas "in case we accidentally hit somebody or got into a shootout, so we could plant them."
Last week, the beginning of an explosive corruption trial involving eight members of Baltimore's elite Gun Trace Task Force revealed that a handful of Baltimore cops allegedly kept fake guns in their patrol cars to plant on innocent people—a failsafe they could use if they happened to shoot an unarmed suspect, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Detective Maurice Ward, who's already pleaded guilty to corruption charges, testified that he and his partners were told to carry the replicas and BB guns "in case we accidentally hit somebody or got into a shootout, so we could plant them." The directive allegedly came from the team's sergeant, Wayne Jenkins, the Washington Post reports. Though Ward didn't say whether or not the tactic was ever used, Detective Marcus Taylor—another cop swept up in the scandal—was carrying a fake gun almost identical to his service weapon when he was arrested last year, according to the Sun.
The revelation is just one of many egregious abuses that have come out of the sprawling trial that the Sun has called "Baltimore’s biggest police corruption scandal in memory." Prosecutors say the squad, which was tasked with getting illegal guns off the streets, abused its power by robbing suspects and innocent people, raiding homes without warrants, and selling confiscated drugs, among other crimes.
(Excerpt) Read more at vice.com ...
Wilson Blair would be proud of this bunch.
What a Disgrace , they used to use Real Guns
A corrupt democrat administration.
Old Chicago PD trick except they planted real ones.
Just give them an area to destroy & they’ll be ok.
Real guns would have to come from the evidence locker, so they’d be harder to get now that such things are tracked more carefully, and would cause an even bigger scandal than using fakes. At least with the fakes, they can fall back on claiming that the officers procured them privately; using the evidence locker would have to involve support from within the department.
Those guys’ll do real well in prison.
Read Police State by Jerry Spence..
There is no justice in the justice system..
ten to fifteen percent of the crooked cops and crooked prosecutors are never punish or even exposed..
I am willing to give the police more leeway on shootings on almost anyone else, given the dangerous criminals they deal with.
However, more and more of the rank and file undermine my support with their own conduct.
For example, the Finnicum shooting was perfectly justified in my view, given his dangerous actions, yet the FBI lied anyway.
It just seems to be routine.
And if this story of carrying guns for planting is accurate, it’s just more of the same.
In the FBI scandal we are told that the rank and file are good, but only the “Leadership” on the 7th floor Hoover Building is bad. I am less and less convinced.
Keep in mind the Black Lies Matter klan runs Baltimore.
ANY cop caught doing this with positive proof should get the death penalty.
It’s not just murder; it’s murder PLUS a cover up.
Hang ‘em, fry ‘em... put them out of our misery.
Read Police State by Jerry Spence..
There is no justice in the justice system..
ten to fifteen percent of the crooked cops and crooked prosecutors are never punish or even exposed..””
Agree, but I will add 50% of the crooked judges to the list.
I had an old cop show me a dresser drawer full of Saturday Night Specials, zinc plated POS guns once. He said he carried one in his pocket as a drop gun if need be.
In light of this testimony then anyone who defends themselves with lethal force when confronted by a member of the Baltimore Police Department is absolutely justified.
Because, and rightfully so; they should be in fear for their life.
They would if you turned them all in. Easy to assume some of that’s going on too.
LEO’s seem to be out of control of late.
correct, they used to use real guns, just not traceable. Guess those were all consumed by the buy back programs.
I had an old cop show me a dresser drawer full of Saturday Night Specials, zinc plated POS guns once.
I am sure that was not my dad, he never had a drop gun that good!
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