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Civil Rights

Police & Fire
Former Fairmont Heights Police Officer Pepper-Sprayed Handcuffed Man During DC Stop: Feds Former Fairmont Heights Police Officer Pepper-Sprayed Handcuffed Man During DC Stop: Feds
Officer Philip Dupree Convicted Of Using Excessive Force A former police officer in Maryland who broke bad has been convicted for violating a man's civil rights, using excessive force, and crossing the line during an incident in Northeast DC, federal authorities announced. Officer Philip Dupree, 40, formerly of the Fairmont Heights Police Department in Prince George’s County, was found guilty on Monday, June 17 for abusing a suspect during a traffic stop that was recorded by his victim's sister. "We depend on law enforcement officers to protect our communities from crimes and to protect our civil rights while doing so,” US Attorney Matthew Graves…

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by Zak Failla
News
Former DC Corrections Officer Admits To Assaulting Handcuffed Inmate, Feds Say Former DC Corrections Officer Admits To Assaulting Handcuffed Inmate, Feds Say
Former DC Corrections Officer Admits To Assaulting Handcuffed Inmate, Feds Say A former District of Columbia Department of Corrections officer who assaulted a handcuffed inmate has admitted to using unreasonable force, federal authorities announced. Marcus Bias, 27, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law after being charged late last year for an alleged incident more than three years ago. According to court documents, while working as a corrections officer, Bias pushed a handcuffed pre-trial detainee's head into a metal doorframe while escorting him within the Department of Corrections on June 12, 2019, causing an …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
No Charges For Metropolitan Police Officers Involved In Fatal DC Shooting: Prosecutors No Charges For Metropolitan Police Officers Involved In Fatal DC Shooting: Prosecutors
No Charges For Metropolitan Police Officers Involved In Fatal DC Shooting: Prosecutors There will be no charges for a pair of officers from the Metropolitan Police Department for their role in a fatal shooting last year involving a 33-year-old District resident, according to federal investigators. The US Attorney's Office announced that there is insufficient evidence to pursue criminal or civil rights charges for their roles in an officer-involved shooting in Southeast DC in October 2023 that left Arthur Porter dead. According to prosecutors, at around 5 p.m. on Oct. 19 last year, the officers were called to the 2800 block of Gainesville Street SE, where there were reports of…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Devoted Maryland Nursing Educator Jane Solberg Dies, 33 Devoted Maryland Nursing Educator Jane Solberg Dies, 33
Devoted Maryland Nursing Educator Jane Solberg Dies, 33 Tributes are pouring in for Jane Jordan Solberg, a devoted nursing educator from Howard County who died Sunday, Dec. 31 at the age of 33. Born in Georgia, Jane graduated from the McDonogh School with honors in 2008, discovering her passion for theater, singing, and dancing along the way, her obituary says. She went on to pursue a career in nursing and eventually earned an advanced degree during the COVID pandemic. Upon graduating, Jane taught nursing at several different institutions and was incredibly dedicated to her work. “She loved her students, and they loved her,” reads her obituar…

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by Valerie Musson
Politics
State Department Official From Maryland Resigns Over Biden's Support For Israel State Department Official From Maryland Resigns Over Biden's Support For Israel
State Department Official From Maryland Resigns Over Biden's Support For Israel Senior US State Department official Josh Paul has stepped down from his position amid President Joe Biden's response to the Israel-Hamas conflict overseas, he says. After more than 11 years with the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM), Paul announced his resignation in an open letter on LinkedIn, citing a promise the Maryland native made to himself that conflicts with the current regime's handling of the ongoing war.   Paul said that he is leaving his position because "in our current course with regards to the continued - indeed, expanded and expedited - provision of lethal …

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by Zak Failla
News
Former US Capitol Police Officer Admits To Violating Civil Rights In Hit-Run Crash: Prosecutors Former US Capitol Police Officer Admits To Violating Civil Rights In Hit-Run Crash: Prosecutors
Former US Capitol Police Officer Admits To Violating Civil Rights In Hit-Run Crash: Prosecutors The former US Capitol Police officer who engaged in an illegal pursuit and attempted to cover it up has copped to the crime, federal authorities announced. Thomas Smith, 46, pleaded guilty this week to violating civil rights by "recklessly engaging in a dangerous pursuit and being deliberately indifferent to the danger he created."  According to court documents, on June 20, 2020, Smith was on duty conducting security checks at the homes of members of Congress in Georgetown when he began to pursue a pair riding motorized cycles, even though such pursuits are prohibited by the department…

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by Zak Failla
News
No Charges For FBI Agent Who Fatally Shot Man At Metro Center Station In DC: Feds No Charges For FBI Agent Who Fatally Shot Man At Metro Center Station In DC: Feds
No Charges For FBI Agent Who Fatally Shot Man At Metro Center Station In DC: Feds There will be no charges filed against an FBI agent who shot and killed a 28-year-old man at the Metro Center Station in Washington, DC last year, according to federal authorities. The US Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday, June 6 that there is insufficient evidence to pursue charges against the officer who shot and killed Troy N. Bullock in December 2022 inside the station at G Street and 11th Street in Northwest. Investigators say that shortly before 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7, an off-duty FBI Special Agent was standing on the platform when Bullock began to challenge another trav…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Former DC Police Officer Used Prohibited Chokeholds To Violate Victims' Civil Rights: Feds Former DC Police Officer Used Prohibited Chokeholds To Violate Victims' Civil Rights: Feds
Former DC Police Officer Used Prohibited Chokeholds To Violate Victims' Civil Rights: Feds A former member of the Metropolitan Police Department has been convicted of violating the rights of at least two men with illegal chokeholds, federal authorities announced on Tuesday. Mark Lamont Clark was found guilty on Tuesday, May 23, of two counts of depravation of civil rights under the color of law following a pair of separate incidents involving two men days apart in July 2018. Prosecutors say that while wearing his police uniform, on July 13, 2018, Clark applied a prohibited chokehold outside of an area McDonald’s causing his victim, “D.T.,” bodily harm. That incident came after C…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
No Charges For MPD Sergeant Involved In Fatal Fort Slocum Park Shooting: Feds No Charges For MPD Sergeant Involved In Fatal Fort Slocum Park Shooting: Feds
No Charges For MPD Sergeant Involved In Fatal Fort Slocum Park Shooting: Feds The US Attorney’s Office will not be pursuing charges against a Metropolitan Police Department sergeant who shot and killed 31-year-old Kevin Hargraves-Shird at Ford Slocum Park in Northwest Washington, DC. Prosecutors say that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or DC charges against Sgt. Reinaldo Otero-Camacho for his role in the fatal July 2022 shooting, which caused controversy last summer. At approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, 2022, Otero, a Fourth District sergeant, responded to a call of a shooting that happened in the 900 block of Longfell…

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by Zak Failla
News
No Charges For Secret Service Officers Who Killed Teen Outside Ambassador's DC Residence: DOJ No Charges For Secret Service Officers Who Killed Teen Outside Ambassador's DC Residence: DOJ
No Charges For Secret Service Officers Who Killed Teen Outside Ambassador's DC Residence: DOJ Two US Secret Service offers will not face charges who were involved in the fatal shooting of a teen near an ambassador’s residence in DC earlier this year, federal officials announced. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against two officers from the Secret Service Uniformed Division who were involved in the April shooting of 19-year-old Gordon Casey outside an ambassador’s residence in Northwest Washington. Shortly before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, April 20, of…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Maryland Police Officer Indicted for Excessive Force and Witness Tampering: DOJ Maryland Police Officer Indicted for Excessive Force and Witness Tampering: DOJ
Maryland Police Officer Indicted for Excessive Force and Witness Tampering: DOJ A police officer in Maryland who broke bad has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly violating a man’s civil rights and obstruction of justice, federal authorities announced on Wednesday, Aug. 24. Officer Philip Dupree, 38, formerly of the Fairmount Heights Police Department in Prince George’s County could face decades in prison for an incident in 2019 where he allegedly abused his power while conducting a traffic stop, according to the Department of Justice. The indictment alleges that during the early morning hours of Aug. 4, 2019, Dupree was on duty as a Fairmont Heights P…

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by Zak Failla
News
No Criminal Charges For Virginia Officer Who Pepper-Sprayed Black Army Lieutenant: Prosecutor No Criminal Charges For Virginia Officer Who Pepper-Sprayed Black Army Lieutenant: Prosecutor
No Criminal Charges For Virginia Officer Who Pepper-Sprayed Black Army Lieutenant: Prosecutor A former Virginia officer will not face charges after he pepper sprayed a black lieutenant in a traffic stop, according to NBC Washington.  The army lieutenant, Caron Nazario, was not charged for any traffic violations from the 2020 incident, but spoke out that this altercation was a violation of his civil rights, reports said. Nazario posted the police body-cam footage from the incident, in the hopes that justice would be served in what he believed was a racially-motivated crime.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lieutenant Caro…

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by AJ Goldbloom
News
DOJ Launches Civil Rights Probe Into Maryland State Police Hiring Practices DOJ Launches Civil Rights Probe Into Maryland State Police Hiring Practices
DOJ Launches Civil Rights Probe Into Maryland State Police Hiring Practices A federal investigation has been launched by the Department of Justice into alleged racially discriminatory hiring practices within the Maryland State Police. On Friday, July 15, US Attorney Erek Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced that they have opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the department under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and religion, according to the DOJ. The investigation wil…

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by Zak Failla
News
'Coming To Rape Your Family': NJ Man Admits Texting Racist Threats To Black MD Woman 'Coming To Rape Your Family': NJ Man Admits Texting Racist Threats To Black MD Woman
'Coming To Rape Your Family': NJ Man Admits Texting Racist Threats To Black MD Woman A New Jersey man admitted that he sent racist texts to a Maryland woman threatening to hurt her and her family, federal authorities said. "I know where you live now, I'm coming to rape your family," Michael Marotta, 26, of Sewell (Gloucester County) texted the woman using an anonymizing messaging service, they said. Marotta "used racial epithets" in the texts, which included "eat my bullets," according to an FBI complaint. Taking a deal from the government rather than face trial, Marotta pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on Tuesday, March 8 to making threatening interstat…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Black Women Wrongfully Accused Of Shoplifting In Hershey Were Detained For Hours: Report Black Women Wrongfully Accused Of Shoplifting In Hershey Were Detained For Hours: Report
Black Women Wrongfully Accused Of Shoplifting In Hershey Were Detained For Hours: Report A pair of sisters and their cousin have filed a civil suit saying they were racially profiled and wrongly accused of stealing while shopping at an outlet mall in Hershey, then held for hours by police, PennLive reports. Sisters Quashae and Quanae Brown, and their cousin Trinity Reid, had just left The Gap and Old Navy at the mall in when a pair of Derry Township officers stopped them and accused them of stealing a $6 onesie on Dec. 22, 2020, the outlet says.  Police found no stolen items but held the women — who were never charged — for hours, according to PennLive. The sisters f…

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by Jillian Pikora