A Baltimore City police officer suspended after shooting the husband of a woman he was “visiting” is suing the Police Department over comments made to the media by the agency?s chief spokesman.
Officer Andre Robinson recently filed a $1 million lawsuit against police spokesman Sterling Clifford and the Police Department in Baltimore City Circuit Court, alleging his privacy was invaded when Clifford spoke to the media about an internal investigation against Robinson.
In the lawsuit, Robinson?s attorney Neal Janey wrote that Clifford?s statements were “false” and “the media reliedupon those false statements … with slanted and misleading headlines in numerous articles.”
Janey did not take issue with Clifford speaking about Robinson?s Oct. 13 shooting of Derrick Cook, 39, but objected to Clifford mentioning an internal affairs investigation into Robinson, which is private and confidential, according to the lawsuit.
Police said Robinson was on duty in his patrol car at 7:30 p.m. visiting a woman on the 3000 block of Dupont Avenue in West Baltimore when Cook, the woman?s husband, approached the vehicle with a tire iron and began beating on the car.
Robinson, stationed in the Northern District, confronted Cook, who continued acting aggressively, causing the officer to retreat.
When the officer told Cook to “drop the tire iron,” the man did not, and the Robinson fired his gun twice, police said.
It?s unclear whether Robinson knew the woman was married, police said.
“He?s being investigated for being off his post for personal reasons while on duty. … Was he justified in using his weapon? It appears the use of force was justified,” Clifford told The Examiner after the shooting.
Janey could not be reached for comment Sunday.
Clifford said the Police Department has not been served with the lawsuit.
