Kelvin Sewell whose controversial firing divided the town, has been charged with misconduct in office
Story Transcript
TAYA GRAHAM, TRNN: This is Taya Graham and Stephen Janis reporting for the Real News Network in Towson, Maryland. We’re outside the state prosecutor’s office, where they have just filed two charges of misconduct against Kelvin Sewell, Pocomoke City’s first black police chief. These charges come on the heels of a lawsuit of discrimination filed by Kelvin Sewell and Detective Frank Savage. The fallout in Pocomoke City over the firing of the first black police chief, Kelvin Sewell, continues, as Maryland state prosecutor Emmet Davitt announces misconduct in office charges against Sewell and his former lieutenant Lynell Green. In a statement posted on their website, prosecutors say the two-count indictment stems from an auto accident in 2014. State prosecutor Emmet Davitt alleges Sewell and Green interfered with an investigation on behalf of a local corrections officer, Douglas Matthews. In his press release, Davitt accused Sewell of favoritism after Matthews got into an accident. The indictment comes just weeks after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found reasonable cause that federal discrimination laws were violated when Sewell was fired just one year ago. Earlier this year, Sewell filed a lawsuit alleging he was fired for refusing to fire Green and Det. Frank Savage. The pressure to dismiss them came after both men were involved in filing a discrimination complaint against the Worcester County sheriff’s task force. We asked Sewell’s attorneys for comment. They told us they were looking forward to trying the case in court. Meanwhile, Pocomoke city manager Ernie Crofoot also declined to comment. Court records show Sewell has a pre-trial hearing August 17. The Real News will continue to report on this story. This is Taya Graham and Stephen Janis reporting from Baltimore. For full dislcosure, Stephen Janis wrote a book with Kelvin D. Sewell.
End
DISCLAIMER: Please note that transcripts for The Real News Network are typed from a recording of the program. TRNN cannot guarantee their complete accuracy.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
