Ridgely, Maryland, a town on Maryland’s Eastern shore, has suspended its entire police force due to the ongoing investigation conducted by state prosecutors.
One resident said she was “blindsided” by the abrupt decision.
“It makes you question the integrity of people who are supposed to protect and serve,” Holly Justice, a Ridgely business owner, told the Associated Press.
Resident Laura Cline expressed her disappointment with the department’s lack of communication.
‘We’re adults—thinking, rational adults who deserve the truth,” she said.
The Town Of Ridgely posted a statement on its website last week but did not offer details as to why the six-member police force was suspended.
“The Commissioners of Ridgley (the “Commissioners”) suspended with pay the entirety of the Ridgely Police Department (the “Department”), effectively immediately, pending investigation by the Office of State Prosecutor,” the post reads.
According to city officials, officers from the nearby Caroline County Sheriff’s Office will step in to respond to emergency calls in the small town of 1,621 people. The town is 74.87% white and 12.97% Black or African American, according to the latest U.S. census.
Some residents they are concerned about emergency response times if they need help. Caroline County Sheriff David Baker, says that his agency is equipped to handle the extra calls.
This isn’t the first time the department has faced controversy.
In 2018, Ridgeley’s former police chief Gary Manos was involved in the killing of 19-year-old Anton Black. The teen died after being pinned down by Manos and two other off-duty officers from the neighboring towns of Greensboro and Centerville. The three officers held the handcuffed teen down for more than five minutes. The teen died of “sudden cardiac arrest,” according to medical reports.
Black’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the towns of Ridgley, Greensboro, and Centerville, and was awarded a $5 million settlement.
When the Associated Press requested details of the investigation, the Maryland State Prosecutor’s office declined to comment.