RISING SUN, Md. — A dash cam recording has landed a police officer in Cecil County in hot water.
Whether the statements on the recording were serious or said in gest, the police chief took action, calling it a matter of integrity.
On duty in the Cecil County town of Rising Sun, a police officer using an unauthorized camera to record traffic stops.
It was discovered in February. The 11 News I-Team recently obtained the video through a Maryland Public Information Act request.
The device captures the stops and more, including a conversation at the gas pump for town vehicles. It’s between Dallas Herbert, seen in the video going to a dumpster, and another officer. The topic: What crimes they would commit once they get fired.
“Oh yeah, any good ideas?” Herbert said.
“Oh yeah,” the other officer said.
“Like, what’s your first crime going to be?” Herbert said.
The discussion turns to burning down a house, assaulting some Rising Sun residents and using a car bomb to harm two fellow police officers and a couple of civilians.
“You could just get them with like a car bomb. Put a (expletive) car at Sunoco and just leave it there for like a week, and then one day, when they’re out there smoking and going ‘argh, argh, argh, (expletive),’ blow that mother (expletive) while they’re standing (expletive) at the back end of it,” Herbert said.
Rising Sun’s Justin Westbrook is a former Marine and disabled veteran who served in Iraq. He remains on alert after being mentioned in the video as a possible target.
“I was scared. It was more nervous than scared because things like that, you never know if it’s going to happen,” Westbrook said.
The two officers also talked of damaging or destroying the town’s water and sewer system.
“It’s alarming. My job is to protect my officers, and my job is to protect the citizens of this town, and when you hear things like that in a video, it’s quite alarming to you,” Rising Sun Police Chief Chip Peterson said.
Peterson contacted the Cecil County State’s Attorney’s Office and Maryland State Police, requesting their assistance.
Peterson immediately suspended Herbert and began an administrative investigation. The other officer, claiming he did not know he was being recorded, received a reprimand.
“We can only get it right once. If we get it wrong and say this officer is, you know, this is just a joke, and something goes on from there, it could be a catastrophe for the community,” Peterson said.
There is no evidence Herbert or the other officer acted on the alleged threats. Still, Peterson said the response to his request for outside investigations surprised him.
The state’s attorney declined to file charges, saying in an email to 11 News, “After careful consideration of the evidence that was brought to us at that time, (my deputy state’s attorney) declined to prosecute the matter.”
Maryland State Police told 11 News in consultation with the state’s attorney, it was recommended the incident be handled administratively.
But the police administrative investigation came to an abrupt end. Herbert resigned from the Rising Sun police. The 11 News I-Team did get a chance to talk to him.
“I can’t really comment on any of that. I wasn’t given any charges. They never made any allegations to me. I was merely put on leave and that was it,” Herbert said. “I did resign.”
Asked why he resigned, Herbert said, “I can’t go too far into that without talking to my attorney first.”
Herbert is still working in law enforcement as a public safety officer at a local college.
Source: http://www.wbaltv.com/article/video-raises-questions-about-officers-conduct/13452548