June 29--A Baltimore City police officer was charged with misdemeanor
second-degree assault in Harford County earlier this week in connection with an
altercation that occurred on an Edgewood street.
Officer Roberto Santiago-Pagan was served with a District Court criminal
summons Thursday afternoon, according to Monica Worrell, spokesperson for the
Harford County Sheriff's Office, which investigated the incident in Edgewood
late Tuesday evening.
Santiago-Pagan, 38, is a 10-year veteran of the city police force assigned
to the Northwest District, Det. Nicole Monroe, of the BCPD public affairs
office, said Friday afternoon. His police powers have been suspended, with pay,
pending an internal investigation, Monroe said.
According to the sheriff's office's application for charges filed with the
District Court in Bel Air, deputies were dispatched to the vicinity of Box
Elder Drive and Wingleaf Court in Edgewood at about 7:30 p.m. June 26 for a
report of a man armed with a gun in the middle of the street.
When a deputy arrived, he witnessed two men standing over another male,
identified as Carson Hutton, of the 200 block of Hanson Road in Edgewood.
According to the court document, Santiago-Pagan identified himself as an
off-duty Baltimore police officer and stated "that he had observed a drug
transaction take place."
Santiago-Pagan stated he confronted Carson Hutton, who was in the back seat
of a black Dodge Neon, which was involved in the alleged drug activity, the
court document continues. While Hutton exited the car, he attempted to flee on
foot, Santiago-Pagan stated, but the off-duty officer "caught him and
brought him to the ground to detain him," the court document continues.
Witnesses, however, stated that Santiago-Pagan came to the car
"yelling at them and telling them not to deal drugs on the street, or the
next time he would call police," the court document says. Witnesses then
stated that Hutton argued with Santiago-Pagan, "who then pulled Carson
Hutton from the car, slammed him against the back of the car and then slammed
him to the ground.
"Witnesses stated that at some point, Roberto Santiago-Pagan pulled
out his pistol and pointed it at Carson Hutton's face," the court document
adds.
Hutton told police he and some friends had gone to Wingleaf Court to visit
his ex-girlfriend, when he saw someone who owed him money, according to the
court document. He said he spoke to that person and was returning to the car
when Santiago-Pagan "started yelling at him that he was going to get his
gun and that Carson Hutton was there to buy drugs," the court document
continues.
A sheriff's detective, who was dispatched to the scene interviewed Hutton,
who denied being involved in any drug activity, according to the court
document.
A Baltimore Police Department Internal Investigation Division detective
sergeant arrived at the scene at about 10 p.m., the court document continues,
and "detained" Santiago-Pagan's Glock Model 22 semi-automatic pistol,
which was subsequently turned over to a sheriff's deputy "for
safekeeping."
The court document also says that Hutton told police he had
"re-injured" parts of his body that had been injured in a 2010 motor
vehicle accident. An ambulance from Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company was
dispatched to the scene, and medics advised him to go to the hospital, but he
declined. About two hours later, however, another ambulance was dispatched to
Hutton's home and he went to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air.
Hutton has since been interviewed about the incident by at least one
Baltimore television station.
The second man who was with Santiago-Pagan when the altercation occurred is
not identified in the court document nor is he listed as a witness in Maryland
electronic court records; however, the application for charges also states that
a friend of Santiago-Pagan, also an off-duty Baltimore police officer,
"found a Newport Cigarette pack which contained marijuana in a cellophane
wrapper, at the end of Wingleaf Court. However, there was no evidence to link
the found CDS to this incident."
Worrell, the sheriff's office spokesperson,
said the agency's Criminal Investigation Division, reviewed statements of
officers and witnesses before deciding to charge Santiago-Pagan. No action was
taken against the second man, Worrell said, because there was no evidence he
had any physical contact with the victim. Santiago-Pagan, whose address listed
in court records is his police station, has a trial date set for Aug. 30 at
8:30 a.m. in District Court in Bel Air.