Did Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Order Baltimore Police To Stand Down During Riots?
Did Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake order her police department to stand down and watch while rioters destroyed city neighborhoods on Monday?
Stunned viewers following the violent Baltimore riots Monday night on live television couldn’t help but wonder why the police department deployed to fight attackers weren’t arresting the perpetrators. Officers in full riot gear were blocking streets, preventing hundreds of demonstrators from advancing into battered neighborhoods, but didn’t arrest one single person.
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has been under fire since making controversial remarks on Saturday, after crowds protesting the death of Freddie Gray — who died while in police custody from a severed spine — turned violent. The Mayor said that the protesters needed space to “destroy.”
In the following days, Rawlings-Blake blamed the media for “twisting” her words, which brought her even more criticism. It is clear the city leader didn’t intend to say protesters had the right to destroy entire communities, however, she is getting slammed in the media for not accepting her part in adding fuel to the fire.
As things calm down in Baltimore after days of unrest, the Mayor is facing increasing questions about whether she ordered her police officers to stand down in the midst of the chaos brought to her city.
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake denies she told the Baltimore police department to stand down and watch looters burn cars and destroy businesses. However, a source — who is involved with law enforcement efforts in Baltimore –, confirmed to Fox News there was a direct order from the Mayor to her police chief Monday night, effectively tying the hands of officers as they were pelted with rocks and bottles.
When asked directly if the Baltimore Mayor was the one who gave the order for police to stand down, the source responded, “You are God da** right it was,” effectively contradicting her words.
But this is not the only criticism the official has faced. As chaos was descending upon Baltimore and police officers were outnumbered by groups of rioters, there was no sign of additional resources, such as the National Guard.
In remarks on Monday, after the announcement that a week-long curfew would be in effect for the city, starting at 10 p.m. ET, Maryland Governor, Larry Hogan suggested his office had waited for Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s request for help.
Do you think that Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has handled the situation in Baltimore appropriately?
[Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images]
