YOU CAN DEFEND AN OFFICER WHEN HE IS RIGHT BUT YOU CANNOT COVER UP WHAT HE HAS DONE WRONG

Former Baltimore PD Sergeant Allegedly Helped Gun Trace Task Force Member Who Had Deliberately Run Over An Arrestee By Planting Gun At The Scene, Telling Witness To Lie

By Ava-joye Burnett

WJZ
March 5, 2019


BALTIMORE — A former Baltimore police sergeant faces federal indictment for several charges related to allegedly assisting a member of the Baltimore Police Gun Trace Task Force.

A federal grand jury has indicted Baltimore Police Sergeant Keith Allen Gladstone, 51, of New Park, Pennsylvania on federal charges of conspiracy to deprive civil rights, conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States and witness tampering.

“It’s a good day, but it’s also a sad day,” Ivan Bates, a defense attorney, said. “I received three, four, five text messages and calls from former clients. They were very happy because today he’s charged. In our mind, in their mind, they heard all of our cries. Yes, we beat the man.”

Gladstone joined the Baltimore Police Department as an officer on November 20, 1992, and was promoted to Sergeant on December 16, 2011.

Gladstone retired from the BPD in December 2012, but was reinstated as a sergeant on December 9, 2013. In March 2014, he was the officer-in-charge of a Special Enforcement Section unit assigned to BPD’s western district.

He retired from the BPD a second time in May 2017.

According to the indictment, on the evening of March 26, 2014, Gladstone, who was on duty, was having dinner with an officer listed as Officer 1 when he got a call on his cell phone from Wayne Jenkins, who was also a sergeant in the BPD and the officer-in-charge of an SES unit assigned to BPD’s western district.

W.J. was reportedly in panic because he had just deliberately run over an arrestee, D.S., in the front yard of a home in Northeast Baltimore.

Gladstone allegedly got a BB gun from the trunk of the BPD vehicle he was driving and drove wtih Officer 1 to the site of D.S.’s arrest on Anntana Avenue and Belair Road in NE Baltimore.

The indictment allges that Gladstone dropped the BB gun near the pickup truck where D.S. lay injured on the ground, unable to use his legs.

Gladstone told W.J. in Officer 3’s presence, “It’s over by the truck,” and told W.J. to have someone search by the truck. He then left the scene and drove away with Officer 1.

W.J. told another officer to move the BB gun under the pickup, closer to the victim. The BB gun was ultimately recovered by the BPD’s crime lab unit.

Based on a false statement of probable cause written by W.J. in another officer’s name, D.S. was charged with possession, use and discharge of a gas or pellet gun, for the BB gun that Gladstone planted at the scene.

D.S. was detained on those charges until at least April 2, 2014.

On January 16, 2015, the charges were disposed of by nolle prosequi, which is a form of dismissal.

The indictment alleges that because of his actions, Gladstone conspired to deprive D.S. of his liberty without the due process of law and conspired to commit offense against the U.S., to impede, obstruct and influence an investigation.

W.J. and six other officers, according to the indictment, who had been members of the GTFF were arrested on federal racketeering charges.

Gladstone told Officer 1 that if questioned by federal law enforcement about the events on March 26, 2014, Officer 1 should tell federal investigators that Gladstone and Officer 1 were at the crime scene for “scene security,” which Officer 1 knew was not true.

If convicted, Gladstone faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to violate civil rights, a maximum of five years in prison for conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S., and a maximum of 20 years in prison for witness tampering.

Gladstone was released after Tuesday’s initial appearance in the U.S. District Court in Baltimore under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.

Acting Baltimore City Police Commissioner Michael Harrison issued a statement about the indictment.

“The allegations outlined today in court are beyond disturbing, and speak to a culture that I am here to change. We are working with our federal partners on this ongoing investigation. Based on today’s indictment and other information provided to me, I am suspending three current Baltimore Police officers pending the outcome of an Internal Affairs investigation. A fourth officer listed in today’s indictment had already been suspended and will also be investigated by our Internal Affairs section.”

Gladstone’s attorney told WJZ, “We received the indictment for the first time this afternoon, and will have no comment until we have a chance to review and analyze the allegations.”