Baltimore, Md. (June 27, 2024) -- In the early morning of July 2, 2023, the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) responded to the mass shooting at the Brooklyn Day celebration that resulted in 30 injured attendees and two dead. What was supposed to be an annual celebration in the Brooklyn Homes neighborhood resulted in a tragic and traumatic incident that has impacted this neighborhood and Baltimore forever. Following the release of the After-Action Review in August 2023, the Department’s Public Integrity Bureau (PIB) began its investigation into potential policy and misconduct violations in accordance with Policy 724.

In May 2024, PIB completed its internal investigation and provided its findings to the Administrative Charging Committee (ACC) and Disciplinary Review Committee (DRC) for review and discipline.

Here are the results of the investigation:

15 individuals were investigated for Policy and Misconduct Violations. This includes one captain, two lieutenants, four sergeants, three officers and five professional staff members.

12 individuals were charged by either committee for violations due to actions or inactions tied to the mass shooting and/or the investigation into possible misconduct. This includes eight sworn members and four professional staff members.

The charges include:

False Statement: Making – either orally or written -- any false statement or misrepresentation of any material fact, or making any material omission of fact, including but not limited to statements or omissions made with the intent to mislead any person or tribunal.

Neglect of Duty: Failure to properly perform their assigned duties or reasonably exercise their discretion.

Conduct Unbecoming: Any breach of the peace, neglect of duty, misconduct, or any conduct or omission on the part of any member of the Department, either within or outside the City of Baltimore, and whether on or off duty, which tends to undermine the good order, efficiency or discipline of the Department, or which reflects discredit upon the Department or any member thereof, or which is prejudicial to the efficiency and discipline of the Department, even if such misconduct is not specifically enumerated elsewhere in policy.

Body Worn Camera Violation: Failure to comply with the BWC policy, such as (1) failing to activate the BWC, (2) failing to keep the BWC activated, (3) failing to report a malfunctioning BWC, or (4) failing to store the BWC properly or keep it in good repair.

“I want to thank the Public Integrity Bureau for their comprehensive investigation and the work of the Administrative Charging Committee and the Disciplinary Review Committee on these cases,” said Police Commissioner Richard J. Worley. “From Day One, it was important that we not only do a deep dive into all that happened before, during and after this tragic incident, but also hold those accountable who violated our policies and, most importantly, the public’s trust. Our Department is committed to learning from this incident and rebuilding trust with the communities we serve.”

The penalties for the individuals charged include formal counseling, loss of leave or pay and up to termination.

The penalties assessed by the ACC or the DRC were:

• Termination (one sworn, one professional)
• Four days loss of pay (three sworn)
• Three days loss of pay (two sworn)
• Two days loss of pay (two sworn, three professional)

Under Maryland state law, sworn members have the opportunity to request a trial board to challenge their charges and/or discipline and the professional members follow the city’s Administrative and Personnel Manual.

“I commend the PIB, ACC, and DRC for their diligent approach to this investigation and these recommendations that have followed,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “This tragedy has left deep scars on all of Baltimore — made worse by the understanding that there were preventable failures and mistakes made by those who are charged with keeping all of our residents safe. These recommendations are fair, and hopefully they will aid in the effort to heal from this tragedy and ensure the department is better equipped moving forward.”

The Baltimore Police Department is committed to transparency and accountability. The Department completed a thorough and extensive investigation into all that happened leading up to and during this incident, with the ultimate goal of building trust and ensuring better responses to future events. BPD has leveraged best practices in self-assessing and self-correcting, as part of the overall Consent Decree efforts.

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