Cop Whose Arrest Lead to Black Teen's Death Decertified by State

By Stephen Janis and Taya Graham

 

The Greensboro, Maryland police officer Daniel Webster, who was involved in the death of an African-American teen, has been decertified by a state agency that sets training standards for law enforcement.

Webster resigned following his decertification.

 

A spokesman for the Maryland Division of Corrections confirmed the decertification occurred during a meeting of the Police Training and Standards Commission on July 26. However, he could not reveal details about what prompted the board’s decision, citing laws which preclude discussing personnel matters.

 

Previously it was reported that at least 26 incidents of use of force from Webster’s former job in Delaware were omitted from his application to work in Maryland.

 

Webster was one of three officers who chased Anton Black, a 19-year-old African-American track and football star, after a white woman called police and alleged Black had kidnapped his twelve-year-old cousin.

 

Webster was joined by two other officers who chased Black to his mother’s home, where Webster tased him and forced him to the ground. Black died minutes later as one of the arresting officers sat on top of him.

 

The Maryland State Medical Examiner ruled his death an accident due to an underlying undiagnosed heart defect. But an independent pathologist consulted by The Real News determined Black died from positional asphyxiation, a form of suffocation that occurs when downward pressure is placed on someone lying on the ground.

 

The arrest occurred in September of 2018, but state police and the Medical Examiner’s Office waited nearly five months to release details of their investigation. Caroline County State’s Attorney Joe Riley declined to press charges.

 

Webster’s hiring was controversial from the start. Residents who spoke to The Real News said his arrival marked an embrace of more aggressive police tactics for the town of only 2000 residents. City officials denied that Webster’s hiring marked a pivot towards more aggressive tactics when asked by TRNN.

 

However, in a previous job in Dover, Delaware, Webster was charged after he was caught on dashcam video kicking an African-American suspect in the jaw. The incident lead to charges of assault, but Webster was acquitted.

https://therealnews.com/stories/a-mother-watched-her-son-die-in-police-custody-now-she-says-the-town-is-covering-it-up

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Senior Investigative Reporter & Capitol Hill Correspondent
Stephen Janis is an award-winning investigative journalist, author, and documentary filmmaker whose work has shaped accountability journalism in Baltimore and beyond. As a Capitol Hill Correspondent and senior reporter at The Real News Network, he continues to uncover the systems behind inequality, corruption, and power while turning complex investigations into stories that inspire reform and public engagement.

His first feature documentary, The Friendliest Town, was distributed by Gravitas Ventures and received an Award of Distinction from The Impact Doc Film Festival and a Humanitarian Award from The Indie Film Fest. He co-created and co-hosts The Police Accountability Report, which has reached more than fifty million viewers on YouTube and helped spark national conversations on policing and transparency. His work has also appeared on Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix), Dead of Night (Investigation Discovery), Relentless (NBC), and Sins of the City (TV One).

Stephen has co-authored several books on policing, corruption, and the roots of violence, including Why Do We Kill: The Pathology of Murder in Baltimore and You Can’t Stop Murder: Truths About Policing in Baltimore and Beyond. He also co-hosts the true crime podcast Land of the Unsolved, which investigates cold cases through a lens of justice and accountability.

Before joining The Real News Network, Stephen worked as an investigative producer for WBFF Fox 45, where his reporting earned three Capital Emmys. Known for embracing technology as a tool for social awareness, he uses data analysis, digital production, and emerging storytelling platforms to connect investigative journalism with younger audiences while maintaining its integrity and depth.

Stephen’s work is grounded in clarity, empathy, and a belief that journalism should not only expose the truth but empower people to act on it.

Senior Investigative Reporter & Capitol Hill Correspondent

Taya Graham is an award-winning investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and Capitol Hill Correspondent whose work bridges rigorous reporting with deep community impact. As the host of The Police Accountability Report at The Real News Network, she has become a trusted voice for transparency in policing and governance, using a mix of field reporting, data analysis, and citizen storytelling to expose systemic injustices. The show has garnered more than 50 million views across platforms, drawing a national audience to issues of accountability and reform.

Her work spans platforms and audiences, from producing Truth and Reconciliation, the acclaimed WYPR podcast exploring race and justice, to co-directing the award-winning documentaries The Friendliest Town and Tax Broke. Her five-year investigation into Baltimore’s tax incentive system (TIFs and PILOTs) revealed how corporate subsidies perpetuate inequality, sparking legislative action and community advocacy.

In addition to her reporting, Taya played a key role in shaping The Real News Network’s internal policies and labor framework, including helping draft the language around the organization’s AI policy in its collective bargaining agreement. Her work ensured that innovation and worker protections coexist, setting a model for how newsrooms can adopt technology responsibly.

Taya’s career began at The Afro-American Newspaper and Historic Black University Morgan State Radio, where she honed her craft in public service storytelling. She continues to lead with the belief that journalism should not only inform but empower—meeting new audiences where they are and inspiring them to engage in the democratic process.