[MD] Chief Clark fired after dv incident sues Baltimore for $20M

...The two officers both reported that [Blanca] Gerena stated, "he assault me"... The department said the officer misunderstood what the friend was saying and that no abuse occurred... top city officials suggested that investigative documents from the Clark case had been destroyed....

Ex-city police chief's suit alleges discrimination
Baltimore Sun
November 14, 2007
[Excerpts] Former Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin P. Clark and two of his ousted deputies have filed a $20 million federal lawsuit, alleging race played a role in their firings by then-Mayor Martin O'Malley in late 2004 and early 2005. Clark, who was hired in 2003 from New York, was fired in November 2004 after allegations surfaced regarding domestic abuse. O'Malley, who is now governor, said the allegations -- which were unsubstantiated -- were too much of a distraction to the city's efforts to fight crime. The former commissioner countered he was terminated after he started to look into alleged corruption at City Hall. In his lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, first reported by The Daily Record, Clark says that he and former deputies Joel Francis and Anthony Romano "were removed or terminated from their positions in the BPD because of their race...

Excerpts from 2004


Top Cop's Guard Writes Report Over Purported Abuse
Police Spokesperson: Officer Misunderstood Overheard Statements
wbal
May 17, 2004
BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore City police spokesperson said an internal investigation is under way concerning a confusing set of events that apparently occurred early Saturday morning at the home of police Commissioner Kevin Clark. According to the spokesperson, one of the officers who guards Clark's north Baltimore condo thought he heard an allegation of spousal abuse from a friend of Clark's wife. As a result, the officer wrote an incident report. THE DEPARTMENT SAID THE OFFICER MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT THE FRIEND WAS SAYING AND THAT NO ABUSE OCCURRED...

Commissioner to step down during probe
By Ryan Davis, Doug Donovan and Laura Vozzella
Baltimore Sun Staff
May 19, 2004
Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin P. Clark stepped down last night, agreeing to a temporary leave from his duties until Howard County officials complete an independent investigation into a domestic dispute he had with his fiancée Saturday... The two have been dating for 14 years and have a 4-year-old son... Gerena, 40, left the apartment she shares with Clark and asked to use the cell phone of one of the officers posted outside. Uniformed officers are regularly stationed outside for security... The two officers both reported that Gerena stated, "he assault me." Both also stated that they did not observe any signs of injury. Gerena then called a friend who picked her up a few minutes later... Clark also came outside at one point and a supervisor reported that the officers "kept the parties apart and attempted to ascertain what was happening. At no time while I was at the undisclosed location did [Gerena] seek refuge or request assistance from me," states the unnamed supervisor's report. The additional reports released yesterday paint a different picture... One report to the deputy commissioner's office from Maj. Regis Phelan states that the friend said, "This is not the first time he, (Police Commissioner), has done this to her." In a separate report, Phelan writes that Gerena would not speak with him at the scene. "She also stated she did not want to be seen by Commissioner Clark... [Gerena] appeared a few moments later and was transported away from the complex by [the friend]. I was asked to follow them to a place they felt safe to talk... She was visibly shaken and had an appearance as if crying"... The friend said Gerena "had suffered injuries to her neck and left arm and was experiencing pain in her neck... She further stated [Gerena] was leaving Baltimore to stay with her mother in New York." Clark had no comment yesterday. But his spokesman Matt Jablow said the commissioner told him that Gerena's friend has denied reporting an assault or previous assaults. The friend could not be reached for comment yesterday. "She doesn't know," Jablow said, "what she said to any police officer that could possibly have been misconstrued as to being that remark"...


O'Malley fires Baltimore police commissioner
By Ryan Davis
Sun Staff
November 11, 2004
...The questioning intensified Tuesday as The Sun and WBAL-TV obtained internal police memos in which top city officials suggested that investigative documents from the Clark case had been destroyed.... As the city was answering questions about the document destruction, O'Malley was moving to get rid of Clark, according to city officials. Those officials said O'Malley told Clark on Tuesday night that he could either resign or be fired. At 8:30 a.m. yesterday, the mayor fired the commissioner. Clark said he was fired Tuesday night...