BALTIMORE (AP) – Seven Baltimore officers were so unfazed by U.S. Justice Department scrutiny of abusive policing that they kept falsely detaining people, stealing their money and property, and faking reports to cover it up, according to a damning federal indictment.
Federal prosecutors announced charges Wednesday against seven officers in Baltimore, where a consent decree approved in the final days of the Obama administration obligates police to stop abusive tactics and discriminatory practices, including unlawful stops of drivers and pedestrians.
U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein said the investigation began about a year ago, and that his office has “quietly dropped” five federal cases brought by one or more of the officers. In a statement, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said the charges will have “pervasive implications on numerous active investigations and pending cases.”
The announcement comes just one day after newly minted Attorney General Jeff Sessions indicated that intense federal scrutiny of police might hinder their crime-fighting ability. Sessions suggested that his Justice Department might “pull back” from civil rights investigations involving police departments.
Rosenstein has been nominated for deputy attorney general.