An internal affairs sting ended in the arrest of a Baltimore police officer after he was taped punching a detective posing as a drug purchaser.
Officer Jerome Hill, 35, of Middle River, is charged with second-degree assault in connection with the incident, which occurred shortly after 5:45 p.m. Thursday.
Baltimore Police Department spokesman Sterling Clifford said the sting operation was launched after officers received complaints that Hill was “mishandling money” while investigating drug dealers.
An undercover officer posed as a suspicious person in the unit block of North Clinton Street in the Southeastern District, while other detectives called in fake complaints about the man ? luring Hill to respond to the scene, court documents show.
When Hill approached the undercover internal affairs detective, “some words were exchanged and Officer Hill assaulted the detective,” Clifford said.
“Officer Hill, without provocation, then struck [the detective] on his left lower jaw with a closed fist,” charging documents state.
A second officer, Jacqueline Torres, then forced Hill to the ground and handcuffed him.
“[The detective] never made any threatening gestures and did not resist Officer Hill,” charging documents state.
Other detectives intervened and arrested Hill.
Hill is being held at Baltimore City?s Central Booking and Intake Facility on a $25,000 bond.
He has a hearing scheduled for Feb. 25 in Baltimore City District Court. Hill is a four-year veteran of the police department.
“What progressed between the officer acting as a drug dealer and the officer who was arrested, I don?t know. I wasn?t there,” said Paul Blair, president of the Baltimore police union. “But you can?t slug people.”
Blair added that he thought the bail amount was excessive for a second-degree assault charge, which is a misdemeanor.
“This officer will have his day in court and if he?s convicted, it will be a black eye for the department.”
