Baltimore Police Officer Remains On Force Despite Fabricating Drug Evidence
In 2017, body-cam footage was released showing Baltimore police officer Richard Pinheiro Jr. placing drugs in a vacant lot and then acting as if he’d just discovered them. A year later, he was convicted of fabricating evidence and misconduct in office.
Prosecutors have since dropped cases that relied on Pinheiro’s police work, and said they’d never again call him as a witness.
That said, Pinheiro is still on the city police force and receiving checks for working a desk job as internal affairs detectives continue their own investigation into whether he broke department policies when he broke the law.
Police reform advocates are labeling Pinheiro’s continued employment with Baltimore PD a disgrace and say the department’s claims about its hands being tied on the matter are misleading.
“It perfectly encapsulates everything that is wrong with the BPD, everything that is wrong with policing in Maryland, and everything that is wrong with policing in the United States," David Rocah, senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Maryland, said, according to the Baltimore Sun. “It’s all wrapped up in a nice little bow for everyone to see, staring us in the face, and yet we continue to do nothing to address the problems."
Deborah Levi, director of special litigation for the Baltimore public defender’s office and the agency that initially released the body-cam footage, said Pinheiro’s retention after his conviction undermines police efforts to restore trust in the community.
“Whether this was an independent BPD decision, or one imposed on them due to legislation and/or the collective bargaining agreement with the union, appropriate accountability measures for serious misconduct are urgently needed and should include termination for this level of established police misconduct," she said.
According to city records, Pinheiro received about $55,500 in fiscal 2019.
Chaz Ball, Pinheiro’s attorney, said they are “reviewing all options moving forward" in relation to his criminal case. Ball otherwise declined to comment, according to The Sun.
