After serving for 20 years in the police force, Timothy Altomare, from Anne Arundel County, has made a surprise announcement that he will retire on August 1. This announcement comes days after Daniel Jarrells filed an excessive use-of-force case against a trio of law enforcers working under Timothy Altomare. The lawsuit filled reveals that Daniel Jarrells suffered slight injuries brought about by the excessive force employed by the security personnel during his arrest. Video evidence recorded in February 2019 at a traffic spot in Gambrills shows one of Timothy Altomare’ s white officers hunching down on Jarell’s neck. This improper arrest made the court prosecutors drop the case against Jarrell, and that is the time that he decided to sue the officers instead. By suing them, he seeks compensation for the physical attack, psychological and emotional anguish, and them taking away of his constitutional rights as a US citizen.
During a news briefing on July 21, County Manager Steuart Pittman voiced his disapproval on the way Daniel Jarrells was arrested, claiming that it is not the policing that they advocate. This is after seeing the contents of the arrest recording. Pittman further condemned the incident by commenting on the hurt that the officer’s actions have caused to the community and its people. However, in as much as Pittman condemned the idea, officer Timothy Altomare went ahead and published an opinion article saying that he wouldn’t stand a future where police officers are denied their rights and then handled by higher authorities like criminals.
Here, Timothy denies the initial claims that he is to stop working because of the current case filed in the courts. He further adds that there is a conspiracy in the country and the county of Anne Arundel to do away with the strength of the police “police teeth,” terming it as a wrong precedent that will lead to grave long-lasting effects that will hurt the people and the country. Further down, Timothy admits to not leaving the police force voluntarily, but because he cannot entertain the idea of being in a police movement that endangers its officers and the citizens that they swore to protect.
Timothy Altomare also opposes the idea of defunding the police force, terming it a move in the wrong direction that is meant to hinder the law enforcers’ operational activities. He argues that with limited monetary support comes reduced policing authority, resulting in potentially damaging effects in the country. Detrimental effects that are brought about by violent crime has been on an increase across the country and specifically the county he is in charge of. However, he supports the endeavors of the activists and protestors protesting against the excessive use of force by the police on citizens. He finalizes that he cannot be part of a team that takes away the rights of officers and treats them like criminals. Anne Arundel County waits to release a statement over the week on a new proposed policing policy that includes new strategies for restraining and choke holding a suspect’s neck during an arrest.
