Police investigating Annapolis arrest
Video shows officers discussing charges; one says: ‘He didn’t do anything’
The Annapolis Police Department has opened an internal investigation into allegations that an officer pepper sprayed a man following a fight in downtown Annapolis and then arrested him despite telling another officer he “didn’t do anything.”
Police body camera footage provided by an attorney for Ryan Greenstreet, 23, of Huntingtown shows the aftermath of a March 11 incident outside a restaurant on Annapolis’ City Dock. The footage shows Officer Jamal Davis discussing with other officers what to do after spraying Greenstreet and another man, Michael Rich- ardson, 21, of West River.
In the footage, Davis says several times that he does not plan to charge Greenstreet, but other officers off-screen are heard questioning his decision. Police eventually charged Greenstreet with interfering with an arrest and Richardson with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
The Anne Arundel County state’s attorney’s office dropped the interfering charge against Greenstreet at a hearing Tuesday in District Court. Emily Morse, a spokeswoman for the state’s attorney, said prosecutors decided not to go forward after reviewing the body camera footage.
John H. Robinson, Greenstreet’s attorney, called on prosecutors to investigate officers involved in the arrest. He said police “colluded to manufacture a charge.”
Annapolis police implemented a body camera program last year. Police spokeswoman Sgt. Amy Miguez said the department opened a routine use-of-force inves- tigation after Davis sprayed Greenstreet and Richardson. An administrative review also is underway.
Miguez declined to comment further, citing the open investigation.
Police say in the body camera footage that Richardson had taken part in a fight earlier in the night. The fight is not seen in the footage. Police say Richardson was wrestling with another man and tried to resist arrest as Annapolis Police Officer Brandon Ellis approached him.
In the footage, Davis says he used pepper spray to “back everybody up.” The spraying is not shown in the footage provided.
Davis wrote in charging documents that he noticed Greenstreet on the sidewalk in front of the bar.
“He had his arms projected forward and he was lunging towards Off. Ellis and Mr. Richardson,” Davis wrote. He wrote that he stepped between Greenstreet and Ellis and deployed the spray.
In the footage, Davis tells another officer that Greenstreet “is not in any trouble, he didn’t do anything. He was just coming towards” the fight. He says he’s “not really comfortable” charging Greenstreet.
In one portion of the footage, two unidentified officers say Greenstreet was “causing an officer safety issue for Ellis” and should be charged. Later, Davis and the other officers agree on the hindrance charge.
Robinson, Greenstreet’s attorney, says the footage and the police report are “completely at odds with each other.”
“I think the tapes show there was collusion to manufacture a charge,” he said.
Richardson’s trial is scheduled to begin June 25. His attorney, Jennifer Alexander, said he will plead not guilty and will also challenge the credibility of the officers.