By Jessica Anderson, The
Baltimore Sun
9:47 p.m. EST, February 10,
2014
Two Baltimore police
officers were found guilty Monday on charges related to the assault of a man
who attempted to hide in the home of one officer's girlfriend after he fled
from police during a 2011 drug arrest.
Sgt. Marinos N. Gialamas
and Officer Anthony Williams were convicted in the case of Antoine Douglas
Green, who prosecutors said broke into the woman's home as he attempted to flee
police. Officers took him into custody before Williams, who was off duty at the
time, came to the scene.
Police had put Green into a
department vehicle, prosecutors said, but Gialamas had him taken back into the
home in the 2200 block of Prentiss Place in East Baltimore. Officers then
assaulted him, according to court testimony.
Prosecutors later dropped
drug charges against Green amid an investigation into the officers' conduct.
Williams, 38, was accused
of instructing his girlfriend, who was at home with her son at the time of the
incident, to lie to a detective during an internal affairs review.
The six-year veteran was
charged with obstructing and hindering an investigation and with second-degree
assault. He was convicted of both charges and is scheduled to be sentenced
April 16.
Gialamas, 41, a 19-year
veteran, was cleared of an assault charge but found guilty of nonfeasance in
office.
He is scheduled to be
sentenced March 24.
"I think that verdict
reflects the fact that when it comes to the law, police officers are ordinary
citizens regardless of what their personal motives might be," Baltimore
State's Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein said.
He commended the officers
who worked the internal affairs investigation, noting they face the same
pressures as nonpolice witnesses when testifying against defendants in court.
Neither officer's attorney
returned calls for comment Monday afternoon.
"We hold every member
of our force to the highest professional and ethical standards. That's what the
people of Baltimore expect and deserve, and it is what I demand"
Commissioner Anthony W. Batts said in a statement. "We will continue to
work toward reforming the organization and holding our officers
accountable."
jkanderson@baltsun.com
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