investigativevoice.com

INTERNAL INVESTIGATION OF ARREST STARTED

By Stephen Janis

The row home on West Lombard Street is brightly lit, one of many along the blocks in the Union Square neighborhood in South Baltimore festooned with holiday lights and Christmas trimmings Sunday evening.

Inside, dozens of residents of this tight-knit community gather in a newly refurbished kitchen with hardwood floors and granite countertops, sharing a beer to celebrate the end of “cookie tour.”

Held each year as a fundraiser for the community association, the tour allows neighbors to see the inside of each others' homes while sharing a holiday treat. The event, now several years old, is another sign, said Union Square Community Association President Chris Taylor, that the neighborhood is growing stronger, even amid a stubborn stimulus-resistant recession, the ever-present threat of drug violence, and continued turmoil at City Hall as Mayor Sheila Dixon fights for her political life.

“Most neighborhoods in the city self-segregate,” Taylor observed. “But not here: We have people of all races.”

Indeed, the crowd that gathered around the newly refurbished kitchen was a true ethnic mix.

As Taylor greeted guests, a neighbor from Puerto Rico, Maria Cruz, discussed the indefatigable wanderlust of her twin boys. Meanwhile, the community association vice president, an immigrant from Trinidad, said that neighbors are still discussing Chris’s run-in with city police that led to his arrest.

“Police should not look at people of this neighborhood with scorn,” said Kimberly Crichlow, a computer security worker, adding, “All city neighborhoods should receive the same level of service, not just Roland Park or Homeland.”

Two weeks ago, Taylor was supervising work on his home when two teenage girls sought his assistance after being sexually assaulted. Taylor said he called police, who showed up 20 minutes later. After completing the investigation, Taylor said, the officer was preparing to leave when Taylor asked him what he was going to do about the girls’ claims.

At that point the story of the officer — recounted in a police report released last week — and Chris’s recollections diverge slightly: Taylor said the officer was combative, refusing to answer questions and ordering him back inside his home before calling for backup and handcuffing Taylor without explanation. The officer’s story, recounted in a three-page police report released by the department, says Taylor was the instigator. The report also says his behavior prompted one of the girls to throw up.

The reaction to the arrest was swift. An email campaign elicited support from residents throughout South Baltimore. NAACP President Marvin “Doc” Cheatham called Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld on Taylor’s behalf. Taylor said he received calls from friends and neighbors who expressed disbelief that police would arrest a man who worked so tirelessly to rebuild a community in the middle of one of the city’s most crime-ridden neighborhoods.

But police insisted Taylor’s arrest was justified, stating publicly he had interfered with an investigation. Bealefeld sent an email to Taylor that seemed to back the officer's story. “Beyond declarations, and dissension, there is the work. We will continue our efforts to provide the very best service to the community possible,” Bealefeld wrote.

Taylor said the political establishment failed to respond to his pleas.

“I don’t understand; forget about me, what about the 87,000 African-Americans who are arrested every year. Why doesn’t any black politician speak up about that ever?” he wondered.

Still, the arrest itself, while troubling to Taylor and his neighbors, is not half as upsetting as the perception that the Police Department was trying to discredit him, particularly for many residents who said they have cultivated a close relationship with many officers.

“It didn’t happen,” said Dave Cochran, fellow board member who arrived on the scene shortly after Taylor was handcuffed. “I was there, I saw them take the girls to the car, and there was never any vomiting as far as I could see.”

“Think about it: The reason the girls came to Taylor is because he is known in the community as a person who will help people,” said Bif Browning, another neighbor. “Would he really behave that way?”

“It’s a fabrication,” Taylor said. “It’s something that can be proven to be false. Why would you make something up about me like that?” he said, adding, “If that was the case, if the girl was really sick, wouldn’t you call an ambulance?”

The apparent discrepancies have prompted police to open an internal investigation into the incident, police said -- an investigation that Taylor said he does not know if he will participate in.

“I don’t know if I can trust them.”

For now, Taylor said, the arrest has galvanized the community to seek fundamental change in how the community and police interact.

“They need to know us so they can’t simply objectify us, that we are a strong community that wants to work with them on equal terms,” he said. “We are starting a web site called bmoreunited.org that should be up and running by midweek.”

But Taylor said he’s even more excited about a T-shirt that will be printed by the time the next community meeting occurs on Wednesday.

“It says ‘21223 I live here, respect me.'”

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