This next story is the WUSA non
exclusive and we learned about
it from one of our viewers.
The Maryland police officer recently found
himself on the wrong side of the law.
Authorities in Prince George's County
accused this man of creating a, quote,
substantial risk of death to a person
he arrested while on duty. Well,
the court later agreed with prosecutors,
but that didn't stop the officer
from showing back up around tow.
Our John Henry found out this ia
saga that's enraged some leaders
in the city of New Carrollton.
On June 19th, 2021,
New Carrollton Police officers
respond to a call for burglary.
Soon they find their suspect,
this man in the white shirt.
Sergeant Jeffrey Harris arrested that man,
but when he put him into a cruiser, he did
something authorities said broke protocol.
Get up in that car.
Get up in that car. He placed
him in the car upside down.
The man's head sat on the car's floor.
His feet dangled in the air.
The events in this body camera o
shot New Carrollton Council mems
like Brianna Urbina and Katrina Dodro.
I was just completely aghast.
The manner of the assault that k
place is exactly how Freddie Gray died.
The Prince George's County Stats
Attorney's office said Harris created a
substantial risk of death to the suspect.
It later charged him with
misdemeanor second degree assau,
reckless endangerment and
misconduct in public office.
Just before that,
police Chief David Rice turned r
the investigation into what hapd
to another Police Department.
We sent it out to a sister agen.
To have complete transparency.
But that desire for civic transparency
would ultimately not transfer te
rest of New Carrollton City government.
On January 26th a judge sentencd
Harris to 45 days time served for his
actions related to the suspects arrest.
Eight days later he would offer
Chief Rice his resignation.
But in Harris's letter to
the chief was a surprise.
He revealed he had already been
offered a new job elsewhere in
New Carrollton City government
to hire him
back. On the city, paying for hm
is just completely egregious.
W USA9 acquired more than 100 pages of
internal documents from New Carrollton
through a public records reques,
emails show. On February 6th,
Harris accepted a job as the
city's fleet services manager,
per new Carrollton's HR administrator,
despite the fact the city said t
knew he had went to trial and had been
found guilty on the three charg,
including misconduct in office,
City data shows Harris.
Is eligible to make roughly the same amount
of money he did as a police Sergeant,
but Urbina says he definitely
has better working hours now,
essentially given a promotion ie
position that he currently holds. The
Council members said they learnd
about Harris's hire from residents and
added his new position wasn't publicly
advertised or even budgeted for.
He's being paid not in accordane
with our published city budget.
Harris's employment blindsided others,
too, the city attorney emailed
Mayor Felicia Nimhart in Februa.
He said Harris should have been fired from
the Police Department two months prior.
So who gave Harris a new job?
Well, the city's HR administratr
wrote the city attorney.
She authorized it.
But several city officials told us they
don't believe that's what happe.
Nothing happens in the city of w
Carrollton without the mayor's
expressed and authorized consent, the
council members said.
Under the city's charter,
since New Carrollton currently
lacks a city administrator,
the mayor was the only person
who could make such a hire.
I emphatically believe that she.
We reached out to the mayor to k
her if she hired Harris and why.
She never answered our question.
We repeatedly contacted Harris a
e-mail to ask him whether he tht
he was qualified for his new jo.
He also did not respond.
But a family friend who claimedo
get our contact information from
Harris said the former Sergeant
was being treated unfairly.
He's a very good, good hearted,
good-natured, compassionate.
In that car that did not sway
the Council members we talked t,
even if he had been the most
seasoned fleet manager of all t.
This is a man who violated the
public trust from New Carrollto.
This is not a person that we
should be hiring for anything.
John Henry, W, USA 9.