Create And Track Police Department History
Written by CBKN76
Sergeant Nathaniel Passwaters of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office was named in a 2015 federal lawsuit for subjecting Pocomoke police officer Franklin Savage to a racially hostile work environment from 2012 to 2014. Passwaters, who supervised a multi-agency drug task force, allegedly used racial slurs (including the N-word), allowed other officers to engage in racist […]
Written by CBKN76
Correctional Officer Gunnar Thompson was one of several Worcester County Jail staff accused in a wrongful death lawsuit after a detainee, 36-year-old Kyle Arthur, died by suicide in the jail on September 10, 2021. According to the lawsuit, Thompson was assigned to conduct inmate welfare checks every 30 minutes, but records and video indicate he […]
Written by CBKN76
Sergeant Naomi Campbell, a correctional supervisor at Worcester County Jail, was named in the 2021 federal lawsuit over the in-custody suicide of Kyle Arthur. Campbell met with Arthur on the morning of his detention while he was in opioid withdrawal. She informed him the jail had a detox protocol but no methadone treatment, and her […]
Written by CBKN76
Corporal Nathan Cook, a Worcester County Jail officer, was also implicated in the September 2021 suicide of inmate Kyle Arthur. A lawsuit alleges that Cook oversaw a midday wellness check on Arthur but remained outside the cellblock, preventing any meaningful interaction. Afterward, Cook wrote in an incident log that Arthur had a ‘good demeanor’ and […]
Written by CBKN76
In June 2019, Worcester County Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Barrs was accused of assaulting his 15-year-old daughter during a domestic altercation at his home. Court documents say Barrs twisted the girl’s arm behind her back and forced her out of the house, resulting in a sprained elbow. He was arrested and charged with second-degree child abuse […]
Written by CBKN76
In 2014, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Captain Dale Smack was implicated in retaliating against a Black police officer, Franklin Savage, who complained of racial harassment by members of a joint drug enforcement team. A federal civil rights lawsuit alleged that Smack, then the sheriff’s second-in-command, ordered deputies not to assist Officer Savage or another Black […]
Written by CBKN76
In October 2020, Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Corporal Stephen J. Gulyas III was arrested and charged with second-degree assault in a domestic incident. Maryland State Police investigated and Gulyas’s police powers were suspended on October 19, 2020, pending the outcome of the internal investigation and criminal charges. Sheriff Matthew Crisafulli acknowledged the arrest publicly and […]
Written by CBKN76
Allen County Sheriff David Gladieux was charged with misdemeanor battery over a July 2019 incident in which he shoved a 15-year-old festival volunteer to the ground, injuring the teen. Gladieux avoided conviction by entering a pretrial diversion program that required him to pay a $334 fine, publicly apologize, and complete alcohol and anger management classes.
Written by CBKN76
South Whitley Police Officer Brian Schimmel (now a former officer) was caught on video in January 2024 dragging 18-year-old Vivian Augustus from her car and slamming her onto the pavement during a traffic stop. Augustus filed a lawsuit against the town and Schimmel alleging excessive force and an unlawful strip search, seeking damages for physical […]
Written by CBKN76
Fort Wayne Police Sgt. Andrew Beck was arrested in 2019 after investigators found he engaged in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student while working as a school resource officer. He pleaded guilty to child solicitation and possession of child pornography and was sentenced in 2021 to two years in prison followed by two years […]
Written by CBKN76
Fort Wayne Police Sgt. Joshua Hartup struck and killed a pedestrian, attorney Henry Najdeski, with his police vehicle in April 2023. Hartup later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failure to yield to a pedestrian, paid a $35.50 fine, and received no departmental discipline for the fatal incident.
Written by CBKN76
Fort Wayne Police Officer Justin Holmes is being sued for allegedly firing a tear gas canister that hit 21-year-old Balin Brake in the face during a May 30, 2020 protest, causing Brake to lose his right eye. Brake’s lawsuit claims Holmes used excessive force in violation of civil rights, while Holmes has argued he is […]
Written by CBKN76
Former FWPD Sgt. Boyce J. Ballinger was accused in a federal lawsuit of violently tackling a peaceful protester, Lucas Williams, during the May 2020 demonstrations, causing Williams to suffer a concussion and broken nose. Ballinger had previously pleaded guilty to felony strangulation and domestic battery for assaulting his wife and was sentenced in 2021 to […]
Written by CBKN76
Jonathan Debczak, a 10-year veteran of the Jackson Police Department, was arrested in October 2024 on multiple felony charges stemming from an off-duty domestic incident. Deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office took Debczak into custody after responding to a 911 call about a domestic dispute and finding him driving away. He was charged with […]
Written by CBKN76
Jackson County Sheriff Steven Rand was embroiled in scandal after secret recordings in 2017 captured him making racist remarks about Black people, using homophobic slurs, and insulting women and people with disabilities. In 2018, two of his officers filed lawsuits alleging Rand created a hostile work environment and engaged in egregious racism and bigotry. Rand […]