Former Det Joseph Crystal was a rising star in the department, and he took his job seriously. That all changed the day he witnessed a handcuffed drug suspect beaten and his ankle broken by a fellow officer. When he reported it to his superiors, his nightmare began. Det. Crystal, testified against two officers who were involved, and helped secure convictions. Soon afterwards, he was labeled a rat, and he eventually found a dead rodent placed on the windshield of his car. Crystal was not only harassed by his 'brothers in blue', he was ostracized, and denied several promotions. Crystal became so overwhelmed with the harassment at the hands of his peers, it subsequently lead to his resignation in 2014. We applaud Crystal for coming forward and reporting misconduct. Baltimore is in desperate need of officers with strong integrity, such as Crystal to police our streets. We strongly urge the Baltimore Police Department to reverse Mr. Crystal's resignation, so he can continue to serve the people. The City of Baltimore needs Joe Crystal.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ex-baltimore-labeled-rat-police-brutality-claim-article-1.2077632#

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/16/baltimore-joe-crystal_n_7582374.html