My experience with Calvert County Sheriffs on Monday, July 10th, 2017
The following information was published online on July 14, 2017, by Adrian A. Hall. A link to the original content can be found HERE.
Hello, my name is Adrian A. Hall. On Monday, July 10th, 2017 at around 6:45am, the start of an unnecessary day began.
I am a member of the Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers apart of the International Union of Bricklayers and work as a mason for JT Thorpe & Son at IHI Kiewitt located at Covepoint in Lusby, Maryland.
I drive a 60 mile commute every morning which is around an hour of a commute one way for me. I leave between 5:30AM and 5:45AM. I arrive at an offsite where I park my car usually between 6:45AM and 7AM. I get on a shuttle bus that takes me from the offsite parking lot to the work site, where I walk the rest of the way and sign in before 7:30AM. I get back home sometime around 7PM. We work ten hours a day (scheduled) at five to six days a week.
So on Monday, July 10th, 2017 at around 6:45am, I was within the last 10-15 miles or so before I got to work. Google Maps said that I’d arrive around 7:05am, so I was within a good time. I was on route 4 (which turns into route 2) behind a minivan and a few other cars for a while (maybe 20 miles or so). A Calvert County Sheriff vehicle made a right turn onto my road ahead of traffic. As a response, all cars slowed down to a bit under 50MPH in a 55MPH zone.
The Calvert County Sheriff started driving slowly onto the road, and then proceeded to accelerate to ride with the flow of traffic. He then road along the right side of my vehicle, looked inside, then lagged back, pulled behind me, and turned his lights on to pull me over. I was on the phone (hands free Bluetooth device) with my wife, Tantalia A. Hall, for majority of the trip.
I gave him my license and registration and he walked back to his vehicle. After about 20 minutes of waiting, I noticed that other Calvert County Sheriff/Police vehicles had gathered. I then asked my wife if I can call her back while I dialed 911 about this.
When I dialed 911, the emergency service operator was also very hostile. I tried to tell her about the situation and how I felt uncomfortable. She asked if I would like to file a complaint, and I told her that the situation is still in process. She kept cutting me off, raising her voice, and being extremely incoherent. She also said a few times that I was being recorded and I told her that she was as well. She then got upset with me even more and effectively “hung up on me” by putting me on a very long hold. So I then ended the call, and called my wife back so that she could be on the line with me.
After another 10 minutes or so of waiting, the officer came back to the driver’s side of my vehicle and told me to step out of my car. I asked him why, and he said that I would find out soon from another officer.
I stepped out of my car and walked towards the other officer. I was told to stand in front of the police car. I was still on the phone with my wife as she heard what was going on. We both spoke about how this situation was ridiculous and how they couldn’t actively just search my vehicle. They brought a German Shepherd over to my car, who just passed it by as they walked it back.
I kept my phone in my hand, and another officer grabbed my hand and said “FUCK that!” and started swinging at me while grabbing my phone. I asked him what he was doing, and he was too busy trying to take my phone while hitting me in the head, arms, and trying to kick me. The other officers came and grabbed my arms and legs, then pushed me to the ground. They continued to stomp, kick, and punch me saying “take him down!” while other officers were laughing. I felt blunt objects striking me on my left leg and on my head.
They placed handcuffs on me while still attacking me on the ground. I asked why they were doing this and they said I was under arrest. I asked under what charge, and they said “because I was resisting arrest.” What?
The other officers said “we got another one” and made all kinds of inside jokes that were obviously racist as I was escorted back to the police vehicles. They took off my shoes, and searched my body, groping me everywhere and said “He MUST have something on him!” and proceeded to enter my vehicle. Just a reminder, I was pulled over for speeding.
They stripped the seats and tore the interior of my car. Trashed everything from the glove compartment to the trunk of my car with all of my work tools. One of the officers told me that the dogs went crazy because it’s obvious that I was hiding something. For ANYONE who knows me even remotely, they understand these very points:
- I’ve never smoked.
- I’ve never drank.
- I’ve never done any drugs.
- I’ve never stolen anything in my life.
- I’ve never bought or sold any drugs.
I’ve lived by this my entire life of 32 years now. This does not mean that I look down on anyone who has done any of these things. It’s just not my thing. Of the many reasons why I don’t, one of the ones I usually tell people aside from the lack of benefits from any of these things is that my ancestors did not spend time being oppressed and slaved for me to waste the few years I have of life contributing these things in my life. So I refuse.
Back to the situation, one of the sheriffs kept trying to suggest through his blatant, consistent, and incompetent fallacies that I was hiding something in my vehicle. I told him I was not, and he kept manipulating his suggestions that someone riding in my car had something or the previous owner had something. I told him no, for one, not many people ride in my vehicle. Especially of that caliber. Secondly, my car is a former police car. I’m the only true domestic owner.
Even still, he continued to go down a list of co-wokers, friends, family members that may have driven my car or hidden something in my car without me knowing. I told him that I’ve never driven any of my co-workers in my car, and the only other people who ride in it are my children.
So they took my wallet and my phone, placed everything in evidence bags, put me in the back of their car, and drove me to the Calvert County Detention Center. Keep in mind, I was pulled over for speeding.
When we arrived, they chained and cuffed me to the walls and benches. They tried to intimidate me with words, stating that I was a criminal who shouldn’t have given them any trouble, that I would be there for years because of my behavior, and that I must have an ongoing history of criminal activity. I asked them why they would say that, and the response I was given was “because they know my kind.”
So, then they kept telling me they wanted to do more searches on me. Strip searches and lots of questions while having grins on their faces. I told them I wanted to make phone calls to my wife and to my lawyer. They told me that I don’t have that right. I said that I don’t want to continue any further without someone that I can trust present. They said that I cannot do anything until I speak with the commissioner, which may not be today or even tomorrow. Then they told me “You don’t have any rights. We work differently.” and I said “I bet.”…keep in mind…I was pulled over…for speeding…
They continued to go on by saying I was being uncooperative, and that I didn’t have control of the situation. Told me that they were afraid for their safety and that’s why they need to search me. They went on about their safety and how I was a threat. I asked how could I be a threat when I’m chained, cuffed, in a secured facility with multiple gates, outnumbered, and everyone has guns. I asked what could I be hiding if they already took everything and searched me. They said that I could be hiding something dangerous inside my body…keep in mind…I was pulled over for speeding…
One of the officers kept saying that his 14 years of experience told him that I was hiding something because I didn’t want to be strip searched. I told him that it’s not really that complicated. I know I didn’t do anything wrong, and I wanted to have a phone call to my wife and lawyer before complying with anymore violations. They left me for hours saying that I have no rights at all and that they run everything. The entire time I was there, they kept telling me that I must have done something, or I wouldn’t be there. I got tired of that.
Later on, I asked what was required of the search and told them I didn’t want anyone touching me anymore. They agreed and had me do a strip search which required me to give them my clothes to check for items. Afterwards, they returned my clothes minus my shoes and belt. They then took me for fingerprinting.
At some point I saw the commissioner on a TV screen, who already had a court date and my charges in front of him. I was cuffed before him and told about how I am a criminal and that I needed to sign papers for my upcoming court date on Wednesday, August 30th, 2017.
He then asked if I had spoken to my lawyer and if he’d be on his way anytime soon. I told him that I wasn’t given “permission” to speak to anyone at all. He paused, and asked if I would like to attempt to get in touch with my lawyer, and that I had 24 hours to do so. I told him that I would like to reach my lawyer, and he told me I could. He went on to say that if I can’t reach him, I have the option to come right back and continue without my lawyer present.
I was cuffed to a wall and desk. I went to call my lawyer and the phones were terrible. Every time I tried to make a call, they didn’t go through. When I FINALLY got a call through to my wife, the recording said we had one minute to speak. After maybe 20-30 seconds, it said we had 15 seconds left and then the call dropped. I could not reach her again. I barely got time to tell her that I was okay, in Calvert County Detention Center, and that I needed her to call my lawyer.
After trying to reach her again and call my lawyer for about 30-40 minutes, I eventually gave up. I asked to go back to the commissioner, and one of the officers told me to wait (while I was still cuffed and chained to the wall and desk).
I asked to use the restroom, and the officer asked how long I’d be. I told him maybe 20-30 seconds, and he said okay. He then took me to my cell. It was about 2:20PM according to their clock, and he told me that I’d have to wait until after 3PM to see the commissioner. He left me there for 2 hours before the shift changed and a different officer came after I knocked on the cell door. He told me that the last officer said that I was trying to contact my lawyer…there was no phone in my cell, and I asked how was I supposed to do that if I was locked in a room for the last few hours? So then he asked if I were ready to go back to the commissioner, and I said yes.
I met with a different commissioner this time. He asked about my background history and work status, criminal activity, and whether or not I understood that I was being detained as a criminal. He then told me about my upcoming court date, and told me the consequences of missing the court date. I want to mention this again. I was pulled over for speeding, yet this was never brought up in any way. I was never even told why I was being arrested to begin with. The charges were that I resisted arrest and impeded an investigation. They didn’t talk about what the investigation was for or anything about me speeding.
I left with, from what I could see and remember at the time, all of my belongings. As soon as I was escorted out of the detention center, I started my walk at about 4:30PM and called my wife.
I got to my car at about 5:45PM-5:50PM after nonstop walking in my worth attire from the Calvert County Detention Center all the way down route 4/2 until I got to my car. I took pictures of the results, got in my car, and drove home. I got back sometime after 7PM.
7/16/2017:
So I spoke with someone who said that I can share the names. Most I only got from looking at their name tags. I’m going to start by linking an article of the one who got this started, the initial sheriff that pulled me over. Jeffrey Denton.
Jeffrey Denton – Pulled me over for “speeding” and played a part of the assault against me.
Badgers – The one who started the assault on me. He’s the one who started swinging punches and kicks on me and started the commotion heard in the video. Did several grope searches on me as well.
R. Hood – The officer that told me I have no rights, and played a huge role in the disturbing issues in the Calvert County Detention Center.
Lanier – This guy kept leaving me in the cell. He was the one who wanted to strip search me the most. Several times I’ve witness him do very disturbing things. There was a small black woman in there that was bound in chains, handcuffed, and wore an orange jump suit. She didn’t make eye contact at all. She was escorted into a room, one male went in (Lanier) and after 5-10 minutes, they came back out. Her face looked even more disturbed after they exited. This room is the same one I was initially escorted to for a strip search, and I refused.
