Baltimore Cops Carried Toy Guns to Plant on People They Shot, Trial Reveals

[Charlemagne]

Baltimore Cops Carried Toy Guns to Plant on People They Shot, Trial Reveals

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."

Drew Schwartz

Jan 31 2018, 11:49am

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.

But the BB gun testimony is particularly disturbing in light of 12-year-old Tamir Rice's death in 2014, the 13-year-old in Baltimore who was shot twice by cops in 2016 after he allegedly sprinted from them with a replica gun in his hand, and the 86 people fatally shot by police in 2015 and 2016 who were spotted carrying toy guns.

Six of the eight task force members charged in the corruption scandal have pleaded guilty to racketeering charges, but Taylor and Detective Daniel Hersl have pleaded not guilty. They're currently on trial while several of their former partners testify against them.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/8xvzwp/baltimore-cops-carried-toy-guns-to-plant-on-people-they-shot-trial-reveals-vgtrn?utm_source=vicefbus

 

[Smallcock]

If true, that's atrocious.

 

[AJstar]

Must have got that idea from the movies.

 

[TeeJay]

If true, that's atrocious.

Not actually true
Funny all the non mainstream newsources misquote like that

They carried BB guns not TOY guns

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/...s-dirty-shootings_us_5a72543fe4b09a544b564f2a

 

[K Douglas]

Vice media is a joke. That article is full of inaccuracies. They make it sound like it was a widespread problem with Baltimore cops. Instead it was a mere "handful" of cops who are alleged to have done it. Anything this Charlemagne character posts has to be taken with a severe grain of salt.

 

[Mr Deeds]

It doesnt mater if it a handful or the whole department its very disturbing although not surprising considering the massive corruption there is in Baltimore.

 

[apoptygma]

Not actually true
Funny all the non mainstream newsources misquote like that

They carried BB guns not TOY guns

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/...s-dirty-shootings_us_5a72543fe4b09a544b564f2a

Ahhh... thanks for the clarification.
That makes it better.
You see, that was the most disturbing part of the report. That they were TOY guns... not that they were being carried around in case some asshole cop got trigger happy and shot an unarmed person.
Now that I know they were BB guns, I feel much better about the situation.

 

[sempel]

Ahhh... thanks for the clarification.
That makes it better.
You see, that was the most disturbing part of the report. That they were TOY guns... not that they were being carried around in case some asshole cop got trigger happy and shot an unarmed person.
Now that I know they were BB guns, I feel much better about the situation.

LOL. Good point.

Fact is it doesn't matter WHAT they planted - it's that they planted something period to cover their own asses. I was watching a TV show and the parents were educating their son what to do with cops (family was black). Boiled down to keeping hands up, clearly visible, stating you don't intend to do anything, and give warning before making any movement. It's fair advice and it's generally how people should deal with cops when approached because some may be trigger happy. Good to know though that advice is useless as the cop may just shoot you and plant something.

 

[apoptygma]

LOL. Good point.

Fact is it doesn't matter WHAT they planted - it's that they planted something period to cover their own asses. I was watching a TV show and the parents were educating their son what to do with cops (family was black). Boiled down to keeping hands up, clearly visible, stating you don't intend to do anything, and give warning before making any movement. It's fair advice and it's generally how people should deal with cops when approached because some may be trigger happy. Good to know though that advice is useless as the cop may just shoot you and plant something.

Not sure if you are referring to this show, but I saw a similar scene on an episode of Blackish a while ago.

 

[TeeJay]

Now that I know they were BB guns, I feel much better about the situation.

Always glad to help

I assume they would not use toy guns since a toy gun is ALSO illegal under US law
Funny but true

§ 1150.2 Prohibitions. No person shall manufacture, enter into commerce, ship, transport, or receive any toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm (‘‘device’’) covered by this part as set forth in § 1150.1 of this part unless such device contains, or has affixed to it, one of the markings set forth in § 1150.3 of this part.

§ 1150.3 Approved markings. The following markings are approved by the Secretary of Commerce: (a) A blaze orange (Federal Standard 595a, February, 1987, color number 12199, issued by the General Services Administration) or orange color brighter than that specified by the federal standard color number, solid plug permanently affixed to the muzzle end of the barrel as an integral part of the entire device and recessed no more than 6 millimeters from the muzzle end of the barrel.

(b) A blaze orange (Federal Standard 595a, February, 1987, color number 12199, issued by the General Services Administration) or orange color brighter than that specified by the Federal Standard color number, marking permanently affixed to the exterior surface of the barrel, covering the circumference of the barrel from the muzzle end for a depth of at least 6 millimeters.

 

[sempel]

Not sure if you are referring to this show, but I saw a similar scene on an episode of Blackish a while ago.

Yeah it probably was Blackish but I do watch a few other shows where it could easily have taken place so I wasn't sure (Grey's Anatomy, Greenleaf). Thanks.

 

[rhuarc29]

Vice media is a joke. That article is full of inaccuracies. They make it sound like it was a widespread problem with Baltimore cops. Instead it was a mere "handful" of cops who are alleged to have done it. Anything this Charlemagne character posts has to be taken with a severe grain of salt.

Even if just a handful of cops, it's a massive problem. They're in the position, and exploited that position, to punish innocent people in order to save their own hides. Not only that, but they've further tarnished the image cops have with the public at a time when they seriously need to fix their image.
As SC stated it, that's atrocious. Those cops should be locked up for a long time.