Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Criminal Justice Academy, Wor-Wic Dispute Negligence Claims

SALISBURY — Officials from the police academy at Wor-Wic Community College last week denied any wrongdoing after a pair of recruits filed suit in March alleging negligence and sexual discrimination after allegedly suffering brain injuries during training.

In March, Cynthia Mowery, a candidate for a full-time position with the Elkton Police Department, and Brian Alexander, a seasonal officer with the OCPD who had been offered a full-time position with the department, filed suit in U.S. District Court against the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy (ESCJA), Wor-Wic Community College, which hosts the academy, the academy’s director and assistant director and tactical defense instructor Barry Smith. The suit alleges Mowery and Alexander each suffered traumatic brain injuries during the boxing segment of the academy’s tactical defense training that left them with permanent neurological and cognitive deficits and ultimately led to them leaving the academy and abandoning potential law enforcement careers.

According to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in March, Alexander graduated with an associate degree from community college in May 2017 and took a seasonal officer position with the OCPD. A short time later, Alexander was offered a full-time position with the OCPD and was sent to the ESCJA to complete entry-level training. Near the close of the training, Alexander was required to complete a boxing segment of the defense tactics curriculum, during which he was struck in the head. According to the complaint, Alexander then sat on the mat and lost consciousness.

More

20 comments:

JW said...

Do they (former recruits) think that this couldn't happen to them if they passed the program and walked in on a Domestic? Do they think perps wouldn't talk down to them? Get a backbone. It's probably best for all that you didn't become a law enforcement officer.

Anonymous said...

I have seen much worse at our local high schools

Anonymous said...

By that logic they could also be shot, stabbed, or run over by a minivan, should they have these things inflicted upon them in training as well to give them a “Backbone”?

Anonymous said...

That is like being in the military, knowing you might have to go to war and then when you do, you try to sue them for going to war even though your dumb ass self knew you could and would go to war... Or that is like you being a car mechanic and you use a tool to take off a bolt but you did it wrong and you try to sue ford for the bolt hitting you... Get real people... This is just becasue cops are coward pussies...

Anonymous said...

@8:22

LMAO, by you're logic we should give our Law Enforcement officers a suit of armor, and put them in armored cars. What you say about being shot, stabbed, or run over by a minivan is PART OF THE JOB. If these two can't withstand hand to hand combat training with protective gear on, they surely wouldn't be able to withstand the same thing without protection and should have failed the course not sue.

Anonymous said...

Spell check please.

Anonymous said...

Disability benefits???

Anonymous said...

8:22 here- should the instructor be pounding them in the head hard enough to concuss them through protective padding? That was my point. There are any number of traumatic events associated with the job. Is it necessary to have them inflicted upon you in training? Or is it hazing?

Anonymous said...

9:25 STFU. Spell check BOFA

JW said...

No. But they need to know how they will physically hold up if a bad guy punches them. EVERY LEO GOES THROUGH THIS.

JW said...

No. But they need to know how they will physically hold up if a bad guy punches them. EVERY LEO GOES THROUGH THIS.

JW said...

They also have to be sprayed with pepper spray and tased if they carry one (Taser). That way if the bad guy gets their equipment they know how they will physically react. And don't ask about a PR24, ASP, or anything else. Common sense should tell most (maybe not you) that your body wouldn't react well to being hit with a chain, stabbed with a knife, hit with a bat, baton, or minivan.

Anonymous said...

This guy had a TBI before he was hired and failed to disclose it. Someone is trying to work the system.

Anonymous said...

Joe, I was just on PAC-14's web page and saw the Wicomico County Council Budget Work Session for Thursday, May 23, 2019 and it can be found on the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDSSMKJzHgA

At about 35:40 John Cannon is saying that he sits on a lot of City Boards and that the County should kick in and help pay for Jake Day's National Folk Festival. What the HELL is he talking about. Because Salisbury is the largest municipality in Wicomico County he said the taxpayers should fund the Folk Festival. Then at 36:35 Josh Hastings said he was going to bring that up and that it was embarrassing that the County doesn't help fund the Folk Festival. Then later on, of all people, Marc Kilmer said he would agree to pay the Folk Festival $10,000 if they cut $15,000 from the Elections Board. WTH?? Our so-called Conservative councilman wants to cut a county core function and waste $10,000 on a Ghetto Fest. Good darn thing he is leaving. This is crazy that our council members want to give anything to the City for the Foke Festival. It's not a county event. How much does the City of Salisbury kick in for the Wine Festival, the Good Beer Festival, the girls Softball tournament, the County Fair? How much does Salisbury kick in for the County?? NONE!! Joe this is a comment worthy of a post. Click on the video and watch it yourself.

Anonymous said...

@8:22

Doesn't say a word about a concussion!

Anonymous said...

This has been going on for years with this particular instructor.

Anonymous said...

They will have to prove their brain injury didn't exist long before their training. Snowflakes can't take the heat.

Anonymous said...

Is this the same Barry Smith who was a State Trooper?

Anonymous said...

Mowery's claim that she'd never be able to have a law enforcement career doesn't seem to hold up to a surface examination.

From LinkedIn:

Experience
Image for Police Officer
Police Officer
Aberdeen Police Department
January 2019 – Present 5 months
Aberdeen, Maryland

Image for Cadet - Police Academy
Cadet - Police Academy
Delaware County Community College
July 2018 – Present 11 months
Media, PA

Image for Cadet
Cadet
Elkton Police Department
September 2016 – May 2017 9 months
Elkton, Maryland

As a Recruit, I participated in Police Academy Training at Wor Wic College Police Academy studying Maryland criminal and civil law as it relates to law enforcement. Some of my key contributions include:
 * Built skills through learning and performing building clearing, patrolling, EVOC, Crisis Intervention, fingerprint techniques, law enforcement proprietary systems, and mock investigations focused on traffic stops, trespassing, theft, and fights.
 * Trained extensively with handgun during day and night courses.

Anonymous said...

Barry Smith, RIP, you trained so many to "come home safe" to protect the community, and protect themselves effecting the arrest with the minimal amount of force necessary. Thank you for all you did and providing your expertise training so many officers. You are now in a better place. To his family and friends, I am so sorry for your loss.