Local News

City Officer Arrested After Undercover Sting

BALTIMORE (WJZ) ― A Baltimore City police officer gets out on bond one day after being arrested for assaulting a fellow officer.

Police say it stemmed from an undercover investigation into a citizen's complaint against Officer Jerome Hill.

Mike Hellgren reports this arrest could throw dozens of other cases into jeopardy.

The City State's Attorney's office tells Eyewitness News prosecutors are currently reviewing open cases involving arrests Officer Hill made and the internal affairs investigation could lead to some of them being thrown out.

Baltimore City Police say an investigation into one of their own officers turned violent.

Their Internal Investigations Division or IID was looking into a citizen's complaint against Hill and decided to test him.

They asked an undercover officer to pose as a suspicious person at Clinton and Noble in the southeastern district.

Then, they dispatched Hill.

When Hill got there, police say without provocation, Hill punched the undercover officer in the face.

"Other IID detectives who were nearby rushed in, broke up the assault," said Sterling Clifford, spokesperson with Baltimore City Police.

Those detectives arrested Officer Hill, but police are not saying much about the original citizen complaint that launched the investigation.

"It was a complaint from a citizen regarding the way Officer Hill handled money," said Clifford.

Eyewitness News has reported on an assault that also occurred in the same district just weeks ago, also involving money.

Steven Vernarelli alleges an officer assaulted him with a $20 bill.

"He took the money, twisted it up into a pointed object," said Vernarelli.

"Took part of that $20 bill and committed an act of sexual sadism with that, should we say," said Attorney Gary Bowen.

Vernarelli's attorney says he got a letter from the mayor and police commissioner on Jan. 18 saying they were actively investigating the complaint through Internal Affairs.

Police would not confirm or deny whether that allegation is connected to their internal affairs investigation into Officer Hill.

"One bad officer has the potential to affect the way people see all the officers in the police department, and we just can't have those bad apples in the department," said Clifford.

The State's Attorney's Office says the internal affairs investigation could impact as many as 100 cases where Hill is a witness.

"That information becomes, as it has now, public information and must be disclosed to the defense attorney," said Margaret Burns from the City State's Attorney's Office. "Therefore, the testimony can be impeached or termed not credible."

Hill is a four year veteran of the police department working out of the southeastern district.

Police say the undercover officer who was punched was not seriously injured.

Officer HIll declined to speak to police following the arrest.

Hill's trial is scheduled for Feb. 25.

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