Open Letter To Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson

Having co-opted Negroes in the employ of Baltimore County Police Department that validate the racism evident within this rogue agency by ignoring it does little to dissuade one as a conscious professional Black man from pursuing a full and thorough airing of an extremely serious grievance against the agency.

Under no circumstance will I allow an aggressive, wet-behind-the-ears, overpaid, under-trained cop to insult, threaten and humiliate me while a Negro corporal senior to this moron stands idly by divesting his authority because like most if not all Black cops within this law enforcement agency and many others he was more concerned with going-along-to-get-along than with doing the right thing, acting professionally, and exhibiting a degree of responsibility commensurate with his standing as not simply sworn police officer but ostensibly a senior one. 7-11 and the “terrorist” in its employ is going to be dealt with in the appropriate forum.

This agency needs to obey the laws it is sworn to uphold instead of stonewalling, being hypocritical, and ignoring a formal demand pursuant to Mary Public Information Act (“PIA (“GP”), §§ 4-101 through 4-601, Annotated Code of Maryland to identify these idiots so that they can be properly dragged into court to answer for their excesses. The misconduct was so outrageous that I had to call my cardiologist because my heart did not stop palpitating for days afterwards.

I thought I was experiencing a heart attack. Unless I missed a class in constitutional law, the police have no lawful authority to escort anyone out of a store under threat of arrest based on the whims of an employee of that establishment absent an independent finding that the “suspect” was being disorderly, abusive, or disruptive, period. Without this finding or a court order the police had no lawful authority to literally throw me out of the store because they agreed with the clerk that I ought to return the food, after I called him a ‘terrorist’ in response.

The officers interviewed no one - although there were at least three customers and one other employee in the store at the time - not to mention a functioning video surveillance system they also neglected to review. So all they relied upon to violate my rights was the self-serving grievances of the store clerk. Second, no one threatens me with arrest for “disorderly conduct” because I exercised my right to free speech. I do not care if the cops found the comment offensive (which I hardly believe and, in fact, know they have heard considerably worst). I found their conduct offensive, and I was the aggrieved party, not the clerk. More importantly, I had the constitutionally protected right to utter it. 

Third, I do not appreciate an officer standing behind me menacingly while his partner does the threatening after I was outside in the parking lot intentionally being held up by the young white cop who had demanded my identification. It was extremely frightening. The officers obviously were out to lunch as cadets during their 6 month academy, apparently missing the class on “Terry stops,” which violated my right to be free of “unlawful search and seizure.” The young, white cop did so by demanding my license though I was not driving a vehicle, and voluntarily left the store under my own steam.

More importantly, it was clearly apparent no crime had been committed, or was in the process of being committed when first the Black then the White officer arrived on scene. The officers had the right to ask a few perfunctory questions under Maryland law as I understand it but should have simply left under those same provisions because the matter was clearly “civil” not “criminal” in nature, period. The African American officer initially seemed willing to do just that. Unfortunately, in typical fashion for this agency, when his obviously younger, much more aggressive, white backup arrived on scene, the situation rapidly began escalating, and, thereby, heading south.

It culminated in both cops colluding with the employee by demanding that I return my food saying, “he didn’t ring you up, so he wants it back…” in front of customers in the store embarrassing me, and attempting to physically escort me out the door, which I am grateful did not occur for the sake of all involved.

I did nothing wrong, complied with all police orders - however unlawful - but do not tolerate being embarrassed, threatened or, definitely, not touched. I know there is a serious training issue with this agency. That issue as it relates to another serious allegation is currently being litigated. I plan to bring suit anew for this latest insult because the cops were clearly out-of-line and violated numerous – i.e., First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment - constitutional rights; embarrassed, detained and menaced me in that order all while acting under color of law.

I can say what I want, when I want. I cannot be subjected to arrest for either “disorderly conduct” as the white cop threatened (although he was deliberately holding me up by neglecting to return my license) or “charged with a hate crime” as the black cop erroneously believes (though I really cannot believe that he actually believes that. If he does training issues with this agency are a great deal worse than I initially believed) so long as I do not threaten or harass anyone as the clerk did to me without the objectionable, disrespectful, and unlawful treatment the young white cop accorded me.