Charging Documents Shed Light On What Led To Officer's Arrest

A Baltimore police sergeant posted bond Friday after his arrest on assault, false imprisonment and misconduct charges

Police Commissioner Michael Harrison announced the arrest of Sgt. Ethan Newberg, a 24-year veteran, late Thursday night. He had been held on $200,000 bail and agreed to an unsecured bond.

Newberg was "in the process of running a warrant check on a suspect when he claims a second man verbally challenged him, then became combative and aggressive," Harrison said.

Harrison says that the body-worn camera footage that he reviewed "tells a much different story."

Harrison said the footage showed the man speaking to Newberg then "walking calmly away." Harrison then said the footage shows Newberg chasing the man and grabbing him. Another officer tackled the man to the ground and put him in handcuffs.

"From what I saw, the man did nothing to provoke Sgt. Newberg whose actions were not just wrong, but deeply disturbing and illegal," said Harrison.

Newberg took home $243,132.32 in gross pay in the 2018 fiscal year employee, behind only a fellow police sergeant. Most of that was overtime on top of his annual $99.860 salary.

Newberg is being charged with second-degree assault, false imprisonment and misconduct. He is currently suspended without pay, and another officer, Alex Young, is suspended with pay as the investigation continues.

In charging documents, Newberg said the man arrested claimed he was exercising his right to free speech. Newberg told him to mind his own business, then chased and arrested him.

The police report, dated May 30, claims Newberg and Young were on routine patrol on Ashton Street in southwest Baltimore. They were checking on a possible warrant for a man, when another man began challenging them, which "caused a crowd to start to form creating a hostile environment for officers. The man was advised to stay away, and he continued to interfere."

But police say the video showed a different story.

"It shows the man speaking to Sgt. Newberg and walking calmly away after giving his opinion (that) Newberg should not have the suspect on a wet sidewalk," Harrison said.

The video then shows Newberg chasing the man and grabbing him while the other officer puts the man in handcuffs. That man complained he was injured and was taken to Saint Agnes where the two officers claim a "clear bag containing a white rock substance, suspected to be cocaine, was recovered."

The president of Baltimore's police union condemned the charges against Newberg in an open letter to members. He said that Harrison used stronger language to condemn Newberg's alleged actions thant the actions of the six teens arrested during Saturday disturbances at the Inner Harbor.

"I believe politics are at play here and so do many people I have spoken with today in regard to this matter," Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 3 President Mike Mancuso wrote.

Mancuso told members he hasn't seen the video and isn't commenting on the facts of that case, but wanted to draw attention to what he saw as an inconsistency.

"The Commissioner has made it clear when you are being proactive and you make a decision he does not agree with or a bad decision in the moment, or you make a mistake, you will be held to the same level as an officer that planned to do wrong," Mancuso wrote. "Please keep the Commissioner's decision in mind as you go about your tour of duty, each and every day."

Newberg's trial is set to begin July 9.

I fully support the actions taken by @baltimorepolice Commissioner Michael S. Harrison. An essential part of police reform in Baltimore involves restoring the trust between the community and members of the police department. — Mayor Bernard C. Jack Young (@mayorbcyoung) June 7, 2019

An Open Letter to the Members of FOP#3 pic.twitter.com/wRJP3xnVHY — Baltimore City FOP (@FOP3) June 7, 2019

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WBAL-TV 11's Barry Simms contributed to this report.