Baltimore Officer Charged With Reckless Endangerment, Misconduct For Failure To Defend Victim

3 years ago 383

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A Baltimore constabulary serviceman has been charged with reckless endangerment and misconduct successful bureau for failing to support the unresponsive unfortunate of an battle arsenic they were kicked successful the caput by a suspect, according to the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City.

Officials said Officer Christopher Nguyen was responding to an August 2020 battle connected the 4200 artifact of Kolb Avenue erstwhile the incidental occurred.

Nguyen archetypal allegedly reportedly failed to decently unafraid oregon detain the suspect, identified arsenic Kenneth Somers. Then Somers made his attack toward an unresponsive victim. Nguyen allegedly failed to instrumentality enactment arsenic Somers ignored his questions, exited his motortruck and walked toward the unfortunate who was motionless and bleeding connected the sidewalk. Somers past bent down toward the unfortunate and allegedly taunted them earlier helium kicked the unfortunate successful the head. Somers was allegedly conscionable a fewer feet distant and did thing to halt the attack.

“Our Public Trust and Police Integrity Unit continues to clasp instrumentality enforcement accountable for their actions conscionable arsenic immoderate different authoritative successful our bureau does erstwhile a transgression enactment is alleged successful the community,” State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said successful a statement. “I americium arrogant of the Unit’s enactment arsenic they guarantee accountability, professionalism, and integrity of the badge.”

In a missive to members, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 3 President Sgt. Mike Mancuso claimed the serviceman was charged “by our societal activistic State’s Attorney” without grounds from the Public Integrity Bureau oregon transgression investigators. He said the indictment sent mixed messages for officers seeking to comply with the national consent decree.

“My reply is that we nary longer cognize what we tin and can’t do,” Mancuso wrote. “In either case, you whitethorn beryllium criminally charged for thing much than what you person been trained to bash wrong the law.”

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If convicted, Nguyen faces a maximum punishment of 5 years successful situation and/or a good of $5,000 for reckless endangerment. There is nary maximum condemnation for misconduct successful office.