Ben Conarck
@conarck.bsky.social
reporting on prisons, jails and police for The Baltimore Banner • tips to bconarck @thebaltimorebanner.com
"Maryland Transportation Authority Police quickly shut down traffic but failed to notify construction workers on the Francis Scott Key Bridge that a massive container ship without power was careening toward a bridge support, federal investigators said Tuesday." www.thebanner.com/economy/ntsb...
Key Bridge workers got no warning before collapse, NTSB says
Nearly 20 months after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River, federal officials are poised to make a final ruling about how it happened.
www.thebanner.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:28 PM
"Maryland Transportation Authority Police quickly shut down traffic but failed to notify construction workers on the Francis Scott Key Bridge that a massive container ship without power was careening toward a bridge support, federal investigators said Tuesday." www.thebanner.com/economy/ntsb...
Reposted by Ben Conarck
Baltimore County councilman calls for investigation into traffic stop racial disparities
Baltimore County councilman calls for investigation into traffic stop racial disparities
Baltimore County Councilman Izzy Patoka said he has spoken with Inspector General Kelly Madigan, and has not filed any formal motions as of yet, “though there could possibly be.”
buff.ly
October 28, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Baltimore County councilman calls for investigation into traffic stop racial disparities
New investigation w/ @invisibae.bsky.social:
Baltimore County has the worst racial disparities in traffic stops throughout Maryland. Officers accused of profiling are quickly exonerated despite issuing 70-89% of their tickets to Black drivers. Read more:
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Baltimore County has the worst racial disparities in traffic stops throughout Maryland. Officers accused of profiling are quickly exonerated despite issuing 70-89% of their tickets to Black drivers. Read more:
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
‘Driving while Black’ persists in Baltimore County
Black drivers make up most of the traffic stops in Baltimore County, despite being 30% of the population — disparities police have known about for years but have failed to fix.
www.thebanner.com
October 27, 2025 at 11:37 AM
New investigation w/ @invisibae.bsky.social:
Baltimore County has the worst racial disparities in traffic stops throughout Maryland. Officers accused of profiling are quickly exonerated despite issuing 70-89% of their tickets to Black drivers. Read more:
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Baltimore County has the worst racial disparities in traffic stops throughout Maryland. Officers accused of profiling are quickly exonerated despite issuing 70-89% of their tickets to Black drivers. Read more:
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Reposted by Ben Conarck
How ‘driving while Black’ persists in Baltimore County
‘Driving while Black’ persists in Baltimore County
Black drivers make up most of the traffic stops in Baltimore County, despite being 30% of the population — disparities police have known about for years but have failed to fix.
buff.ly
October 27, 2025 at 11:00 AM
How ‘driving while Black’ persists in Baltimore County
Reposted by Ben Conarck
Notably, the least-bad explanation here seems to be that prison officials negligently let a schizophrenic man waste away in an isolation cell covered in his own excrement.
New: Correctional staff at a Western Maryland prison shut off the water to a mentally ill man’s cell, then allowed him to suffer for eight days before he finally died of dehydration, according to a recent court filing.
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
How a Maryland prisoner died an ‘excruciating’ death from dehydration
Lamont Mealy died of dehydration in an isolation cell at Western Correctional Institution in 2023. A lawsuit claims state officials covered it up.
www.thebanner.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Notably, the least-bad explanation here seems to be that prison officials negligently let a schizophrenic man waste away in an isolation cell covered in his own excrement.
Reposted by Ben Conarck
How a Maryland prisoner died an ‘excruciating’ death from dehydration
How a Maryland prisoner died an ‘excruciating’ death from dehydration
Lamont Mealy died of dehydration in an isolation cell at Western Correctional Institution in 2023. A lawsuit claims state officials covered it up.
buff.ly
October 23, 2025 at 11:29 AM
How a Maryland prisoner died an ‘excruciating’ death from dehydration
New: Correctional staff at a Western Maryland prison shut off the water to a mentally ill man’s cell, then allowed him to suffer for eight days before he finally died of dehydration, according to a recent court filing.
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
How a Maryland prisoner died an ‘excruciating’ death from dehydration
Lamont Mealy died of dehydration in an isolation cell at Western Correctional Institution in 2023. A lawsuit claims state officials covered it up.
www.thebanner.com
October 23, 2025 at 11:29 AM
New: Correctional staff at a Western Maryland prison shut off the water to a mentally ill man’s cell, then allowed him to suffer for eight days before he finally died of dehydration, according to a recent court filing.
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
New: the Baltimore County SAO is willing to confirm the chief's explanation, but will not turn over the underlying five-word "partial sentence" justifying his placement on the Brady list. The public defender's office says he's violating a police transparency law. www.thebanner.com/community/lo...
Baltimore County state’s attorney confirms police chief on ‘Brady list’ over $3 parking violation
Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger says police Chief Robert McCullough’s story matches state records.
www.thebanner.com
October 17, 2025 at 12:29 PM
New: the Baltimore County SAO is willing to confirm the chief's explanation, but will not turn over the underlying five-word "partial sentence" justifying his placement on the Brady list. The public defender's office says he's violating a police transparency law. www.thebanner.com/community/lo...
New for @thebaltimorebanner.com: Members of the Baltimore County Council remained silent in the face of questions about the police chief’s inclusion on a prosecutors’ list that tracks officers with potential credibility concerns.
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Baltimore County officials stay quiet on police chief. Exec says he has her ‘full support.’
No one in power has offered an explanation for why the county’s top cop appears on a list of officers with potential credibility concerns.
www.thebanner.com
October 8, 2025 at 5:31 PM
New for @thebaltimorebanner.com: Members of the Baltimore County Council remained silent in the face of questions about the police chief’s inclusion on a prosecutors’ list that tracks officers with potential credibility concerns.
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Reposted by Ben Conarck
Baltimore County's Chief of Police is on the county's Brady/Giglio list — a list of officers whose credibility concerns are required to be disclosed to defendants if they're called as a witness in court. No one will say why. Great reporting by @conarck.bsky.social: www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Baltimore County’s police chief is on a list of cops with credibility concerns
Robert McCullough, the Baltimore County Police Department chief, appears on a list of law enforcement officers whose potential credibility concerns require disclosure to defense attorneys if they’re c...
www.thebanner.com
October 8, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Baltimore County's Chief of Police is on the county's Brady/Giglio list — a list of officers whose credibility concerns are required to be disclosed to defendants if they're called as a witness in court. No one will say why. Great reporting by @conarck.bsky.social: www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
NEW: A few weeks ago, @muckrock.com
shared the Brady list for Baltimore County. Scanning it, I noticed the police chief was on there. I then spent weeks trying to figure out why. But no one — not the state's attorney, nor the police department — is explaining it. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
shared the Brady list for Baltimore County. Scanning it, I noticed the police chief was on there. I then spent weeks trying to figure out why. But no one — not the state's attorney, nor the police department — is explaining it. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Baltimore County’s police chief is on a list of cops with credibility concerns
Robert McCullough, the Baltimore County Police Department chief, appears on a list of law enforcement officers whose potential credibility concerns require disclosure to defense attorneys if they’re c...
www.thebanner.com
October 7, 2025 at 11:54 AM
NEW: A few weeks ago, @muckrock.com
shared the Brady list for Baltimore County. Scanning it, I noticed the police chief was on there. I then spent weeks trying to figure out why. But no one — not the state's attorney, nor the police department — is explaining it. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
shared the Brady list for Baltimore County. Scanning it, I noticed the police chief was on there. I then spent weeks trying to figure out why. But no one — not the state's attorney, nor the police department — is explaining it. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
One of the more interesting reporting adventures of the year so far…
Hint: no one is saying why
Hint: no one is saying why
Why is the Baltimore County police chief on a list of cops with credibility concerns?
Why is the Baltimore County police chief on a list of cops with credibility concerns?
Robert McCullough, the Baltimore County Police Department chief, appears on a list of law enforcement officers whose potential credibility concerns require disclosure to defense attorneys if they’re...
buff.ly
October 7, 2025 at 11:46 AM
One of the more interesting reporting adventures of the year so far…
Hint: no one is saying why
Hint: no one is saying why
Reposted by Ben Conarck
Why is the Baltimore County police chief on a list of cops with credibility concerns?
Why is the Baltimore County police chief on a list of cops with credibility concerns?
Robert McCullough, the Baltimore County Police Department chief, appears on a list of law enforcement officers whose potential credibility concerns require disclosure to defense attorneys if they’re...
buff.ly
October 7, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Why is the Baltimore County police chief on a list of cops with credibility concerns?
Reposted by Ben Conarck
Maryland State Police barrack used ‘candy box’ to encourage more traffic stops
Maryland State Police barracks used ‘candy box’ to encourage more traffic stops
The incident comes three years after leaked documents detailed a quota-like system.Ary
buff.ly
October 6, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Maryland State Police barrack used ‘candy box’ to encourage more traffic stops
New: Three years after @thebaltimorebanner.com revealed a quota-like system being used by Maryland State Police to encourage more traffic stops and DUI arrests with incentives like new vehicles, a leaked photo showed a barrack using candy bars instead. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Maryland State Police barracks used ‘candy box’ to encourage more traffic stops
The incident comes three years after leaked documents detailed a quota-like system.Ary
www.thebanner.com
October 6, 2025 at 11:39 AM
New: Three years after @thebaltimorebanner.com revealed a quota-like system being used by Maryland State Police to encourage more traffic stops and DUI arrests with incentives like new vehicles, a leaked photo showed a barrack using candy bars instead. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Reposted by Ben Conarck
So far at least, Americans are lukewarm about AI summaries in search results. Relatively few who have seen them think they're extremely or very useful (20%) or have a lot of trust in the information they get from them (6%). New data from @pewresearch.org: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
October 5, 2025 at 4:44 PM
So far at least, Americans are lukewarm about AI summaries in search results. Relatively few who have seen them think they're extremely or very useful (20%) or have a lot of trust in the information they get from them (6%). New data from @pewresearch.org: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
Reposted by Ben Conarck
It's nice to see more and more #crime and #criminallegalsystem reporters here on Bluesky. Journalists play a key role in shining a spotlight on the American criminal legal system.
Today, we’re sharing a list of reporters and journalists that inspire us and keep the conversation going.
Today, we’re sharing a list of reporters and journalists that inspire us and keep the conversation going.
September 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM
It's nice to see more and more #crime and #criminallegalsystem reporters here on Bluesky. Journalists play a key role in shining a spotlight on the American criminal legal system.
Today, we’re sharing a list of reporters and journalists that inspire us and keep the conversation going.
Today, we’re sharing a list of reporters and journalists that inspire us and keep the conversation going.
Reposted by Ben Conarck
Prisoner charged with stabbing 2 guards had earlier killed his cellmate
Prisoner charged with stabbing 2 guards had earlier killed his cellmate
More than two years ago, Daniel Myers, who was behind bars on an assault conviction, stabbed to death 27-year-old Nicholas Delfosse after warning a prison official that he would kill anyone they put in...
buff.ly
September 19, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Prisoner charged with stabbing 2 guards had earlier killed his cellmate
New: Two Maryland correctional officers were seriously injured in Nov after being stabbed by a prisoner at the state’s super max facility. The prisoner charged by prosecutors is notorious for having issued a warning to prison staff before killing his last cellmate. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Prisoner charged with stabbing 2 correctional officers had earlier killed cellmate
More than two years ago, Daniel Myers, who was behind bars on an assault conviction, stabbed to death 27-year-old Nicholas Delfosse after warning a prison official that he would kill anyone they put i...
www.thebanner.com
September 19, 2025 at 4:16 PM
New: Two Maryland correctional officers were seriously injured in Nov after being stabbed by a prisoner at the state’s super max facility. The prisoner charged by prosecutors is notorious for having issued a warning to prison staff before killing his last cellmate. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
New: A Maryland corrections department employee is no longer at her job following an investigation by the agency into whether she improperly invited federal immigration agents to a Baltimore courthouse to detain a defendant she suspected of being undocumented.
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Employee accused of improperly inviting ICE to Baltimore courthouse no longer at her job
The corrections department had opened an investigation into the actions of a pretrial services employee.
www.thebanner.com
September 4, 2025 at 4:41 PM
New: A Maryland corrections department employee is no longer at her job following an investigation by the agency into whether she improperly invited federal immigration agents to a Baltimore courthouse to detain a defendant she suspected of being undocumented.
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Reposted by Ben Conarck
People keep getting sick to their stomachs at this jail. Baltimore County says that’s normal.
People keep getting sick in this jail. Baltimore County says that's normal.
Dr. Kunchok Dorjee‚ an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said that numerous reports of infections and symptoms coming from one setting is a clear “red flag.”
buff.ly
September 3, 2025 at 5:00 PM
People keep getting sick to their stomachs at this jail. Baltimore County says that’s normal.
New: For months, dozens of people have reported stomach pains and bloody stool after being booked into the Baltimore County jail. Those with symptoms test positive for a bacteria called H. pylori. What's making them sick? County officials aren't expressing concern. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
People keep getting sick in this jail. Baltimore County says that's normal.
Dr. Kunchok Dorjee‚ an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said that numerous reports of infections and symptoms coming from one setting is a clear “red flag.”
www.thebanner.com
September 3, 2025 at 5:22 PM
New: For months, dozens of people have reported stomach pains and bloody stool after being booked into the Baltimore County jail. Those with symptoms test positive for a bacteria called H. pylori. What's making them sick? County officials aren't expressing concern. www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
New:City council members are requesting a series of changes to Baltimore's crisis response system after 3 people died in police shootings/in custody in June. The council president wants mandatory de-escalation training and more 911 calls diverted to MH professionals www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
Brother of 70-year-old woman killed by police calls for reforming city’s crisis response
The brother of 70-year-old Pytorcarcha Brooks, who was shot and killed by Baltimore Police officers last month, demanded “action” in response to his sister’s death — a tragedy, he said, that should ha...
www.thebanner.com
August 28, 2025 at 12:16 AM
New:City council members are requesting a series of changes to Baltimore's crisis response system after 3 people died in police shootings/in custody in June. The council president wants mandatory de-escalation training and more 911 calls diverted to MH professionals www.thebanner.com/community/cr...
A prisoner in Western Maryland wrote me today about these conditions. He reports that they are being let out for 15 minutes to shower and “most days we are not getting that.” He says religious services have been reduced to 2x/month.
“We are being mentally, socially, and physically devastated.”
“We are being mentally, socially, and physically devastated.”
New: In Maryland prisons, incarcerated people are spending 23 hrs/day in their cells, an advocacy group that provides legal services to prisoners says. The group is warning that the conditions violate the federal prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/cr...
‘Indefinite lockdowns,’ extreme heat, prompt letter from Maryland prisoner advocacy group
The Prisoner Rights Information System of Maryland put the state on notice over constitutional violations it's attributing to "indefinite lockdowns" at state prisons.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
August 24, 2025 at 7:24 PM
A prisoner in Western Maryland wrote me today about these conditions. He reports that they are being let out for 15 minutes to shower and “most days we are not getting that.” He says religious services have been reduced to 2x/month.
“We are being mentally, socially, and physically devastated.”
“We are being mentally, socially, and physically devastated.”
Reposted by Ben Conarck
An ICE officer told an angry crowd he had a warrant before a Baltimore County arrest. He lied
ICE agent lied to angry crowd about having a warrant before Baltimore County arrest
ICE officers arrested a Honduran man, Adolfo Nimrod Hernandez-Ramos, because they suspected he was undocumented and he lived near their intended target.
buff.ly
August 21, 2025 at 3:00 PM
An ICE officer told an angry crowd he had a warrant before a Baltimore County arrest. He lied