Baltimore police sergeant charged with extortion and kidnapping
Sgt. James Lloyd is currently being held without bail.
A Baltimore police sergeant is being held without bail after being charged with kidnapping and extortion on Friday (July 10), reports the Baltimore Sun. Sgt. James Lloyd allegedly threatened a contractor whose work he was unhappy with.
He reportedly threatened to arrest the contractor and drove him to a bank to make him withdraw money. Three other homicide unit detectives were at the scene of the incident at the time and they were all on duty.
The sergeant reportedly demanded a refund for the work that the contractor completed on his home patio. He told the victim that he could arrest him because his driver’s license was suspended. He then made the victim get into his car.
The contractor told police that he was scared that he would be arrested by Lloyd, so he complied with his demands and went into the bank to get a certified check for his refund. According to the charging documents, Sgt. Lloyd allegedly told the contractor, “You are going to give me my money back and I’m going to give you freedom.”
At the bail hearing Friday, Lloyd’s attorney Matthew Fraling said that the case should not be a criminal issue, but a civil one.
“I agree 100%. This should have stayed a civil matter,” replied prosecutor Thomas Kane. “The defendant made certain decisions which grossly changed the character of the interaction with the victim.”
Fraling asked for his client to be released on his own recognizance, but County District Court Judge Kimberly Thomas believed he posed a threat to the public. Lloyd is currently being held without bail and Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said that he will be suspended without pay. An internal affairs investigation is currently underway. The other three officers were not charged with a crime, but their police privileges have been suspended and they’ve been reassigned to administrative duties.