02 July 2008

PGC: Because the cops don't need you, and man they expect the same.

I've been following this story of the PGC police officer who was killed last week, the arrest of a suspect, and the subsequent death of that suspect while in police custody. The officer, Richard Findley, was murdered after a traffic stop, when the vehicle rammed him and dragged him a good ways. The suspect, Ronnie White, was arrested over the weekend and ended up dead in a jail cell. In solitary confinement. Strangled. In other words, murdered.

It's a classic locked room murder mystery, except the only people who had the keys were the corrections officers, and according to the Post, they aren't talking. Gives me great confidence in the quality of our law enforcement employees. PGC has a history of being infiltrated by criminal corrections officers, as well as a history of rogue cops taking all aspects of the law into their own hands.

All indications are that PGC cops aren't getting any more clued-in to their perceived above-the-law attitude:
County police expressed frustration yesterday that the controversy over White's death seemed to be overshadowing the death of Findley, whose funeral is scheduled for tomorrow.

"We all understand that the death of this kid is tragic. However, his actions that led to him being in that predicament don't even begin to rise to the level of the sacrifice that Findley made," said Vince Canales, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 89. "Everybody needs to take a minute and focus solely on putting him to rest. We'll get back to the investigation when we have properly buried Corporal Findley."

Ummm...maybe the attention being paid to Mr. White's death -- "this kid" according to Mr. Canales -- stems from the fact that state-sponsored lynchings are no longer in fashion. I'd go so far as to say that Officer Findley's sacrifice has been obscured and tarnished forever thanks to the actions of his colleagues. So Mr. Canales can thank his fellow lodge officers for that, if corrections officers get to be part of the FOP...I don't know. What I do know, is they've got a crook among them, and they'd better sort that out first.

And what, by the way, is "that predicament" Mr. Canales alludes to? The predicament of being put to death unarmed in your jail cell? So basically, any arrestee who finds him or herself in jail ought to expect that perhaps a representative of the law will come by to kill him or her? Is this behavior to be expected in PGC? Is this the "rule of law" in PGC?

For the record, I don't think White's murder was an act of revenge by the cops. I think he was killed to shut him up.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very good write up on the on going situation.

Just curious as to your last statement - why would Mr White need to talk or be silenced? He drove over a cop - that action alone was going to land him in some very hot water.

Again, after due process and the LAW. But as your post indicates in PGC MD, they make their own laws.

Anonymous said...

Great post! I have made this the current Feature at The DC Feed.

cs said...

Anon: I'm basing my theory on Mr. White's alleged connection to a PGC gang, the PGC jail's notorious past hiring of gang members as corrections officers, and the fact that it's too damn easy to pin it on a revenge killing.

DC Feed: Thanks. I suppose that'll land me on the FOP's enemies list.

Anonymous said...

I work at PGC Jail get it right, its just not that deep. Nobody that works there thinks "Oh he killed a cop and were going to get him" I dont know who killed him but I know the people that were working that day don't think like that. Honestly nobody cares that much to give up there freedom for this guy.