Elijah Cummings seeks Justice Dept. clarification on police arrest procedures
Washington Times
Rep. Elijah Cummings wants the Department of Justice to provide clarity on when Baltimore police officers can and cannot exercise their arrest powers when responding to emergency calls and the various crimes that sprout up across the city.
The Maryland Democrat is seeking to reassure police officers who patrol the streets of Baltimore that they can make arrests without fear of legal backlash, a concern that has been raised among cops after six officers were charged after 25-year-old Freddie Gray was arrested and died a week later.
Baltimore’s State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby in early May leveled criminal charges against Officer Caesar Goodson, Officer Garrett Miller, Officer Edward Nero, Officer William Porter, Lt. Brian Rice and Sgt. Alicia White in early May for the roles they played during the arrest, leaving their comrades feeling uncertain about when they should be making arrests.
In light of those concerns, Mr. Cummings has been meeting with local cops and their police union this week and noted during an interview with WBAL-TV that he had contacted the department to ease their minds.
Mr. Cummings did not reach out directly to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch for that clarification, said Trudy Perkins, spokeswoman for the congressman. Instead, he made an informal inquiry to Justice Department officials via email, she told The Washington Times. Ms. Perkins did not say when Mr. Cummings initiated the communication.
“The request was made through legislative affairs. We are awaiting a response,” she told The Times.