Two Baltimore police officers described as “in the game” in the infamous “Stop Snitching” DVD were charged by federal authorities yesterday with robbing criminals, selling confiscated drugs, and pocketing the profits, the Baltimore Sun reports. The case is the latest fallout from the street-level distribution of a homegrown video that promoted the city’s drug trade and threatened those who would testify against its purveyors.
William King, 35, and Antonio Murray, 34, each joined the Police Department in 1992 and last worked in its public housing crime unit. Stop Snitching tarnished the reputation of a pro basketball player who made an appearance in the video. Yesterday, NBA star Carmelo Anthony apologized, saying he would appear in a government-sanctioned video to counter the impact of Stop Snitching. Said Lt. Frederick V. Roussey, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3, of the police arrests: “But if it’s proven, then they’re no better than the criminals they’re shaking down.”