Detective Daniel “Danny” Hersl is most likely to have his day in court on Monday January 22, 2018 with co-defendant Det Marcus Taylor also a member of  BPD’s Gun Trace Task Force.

Charged with racketeering and robbery along with seven other officers, Hersl’s career includes lawsuits, excessive force claims and being a general embarrassment to the department.

In short order, his “brothers in blue” began to flip and change their pleas. By summer a superseding indictment was filed with expanded charges against Hersl.  Facing potential damning testimony by citizens and his brothers in blue, Hersl’s defense looks to center itself on: ” It can’t be a conspiracy within the GTTF unit, if the entire department was complicit.”

The Original Indictment (March 1, 2017)*

gttf indictment

 

*Sgt Thomas Allers was charged separately in August 2017.

The Superseding Indictment (June 2017)

Hersl Jenkins Taylor SuperIndict

Known initials from the seven in the Original Indictment: DH, MT, WJ as well as MG, EH JR and MW and later Sgt T.A.  GTTF unit member John Clewell, not indicted is J.C. Unidentified Initials: N.F. , M. Mo, Sgt I, Sgt B, Det 3.

Hersl’s Likely Defense

“Don’t blame my incompetence, blame the people who hired me.” While this mantra worked for the Police Administrative Trial Boards, but a federal courtroom is “next level” to say the least. Every officer who has used some version of this defense for the trials involving the death of Freddy Gray has escaped any punishment.  It will ring true, that BPD is a dysfunctional cesspool, but the difference in this trial is the conspiracy and racketeering.  Evidence is strong that people were plotting, planning and navigating the system in order to advance their own bank accounts.

Just saying that he knew the GTTF squad was dirty and didn’t want to be placed on it in December 2015 is not a defense. It should be a lively trial.  Hersl is a cross between Michael Scott from the office (without the charisma) and Archie Bunker who does all the wrong things for misguided reasons.

Sun’s Coverage on Hersl’s Likely Defense

Widespread Corruption Puts the Department on Trial

In 2016, Taylor learned that the GTTF was under investigation by someone in the Internal Affairs Dvision.  Jenkins learned that GTTF was under investigation by someone in the State’s Attorney’s Office and from sources withing BPD. None named.

Daniel Hersl’s brother attempts to sway public opinion in defense of his brother.

 

 

 

Jerome Hersl Speaks Out in Defense of His Brother

Jerome Hersl makes an appeal to Harford County Council reported in a June 21, 2017 article in The Sun:

Jerome Hersl also claimed publicity surrounding the indictments “caused great stress and potential harm to the families and friends of the police officers due to the possible retaliation from drug dealers. The testimony of 16 drug dealers put seven cops in jail.”

“The drug dealers control the streets of Baltimore,” he said. “Do drug dealers have political boundaries. How long will it be before they control the streets of Harford County?”

Baltimore Family Feels Safer With Hersl’s Arrest

 

Danny Hersl in his element after the city took to the streets in protest of the death of Freddy Gray in police custody.  Here at North and Pennsylvania Ave.  During the day.

Danny Hersl at night pepper sprays citizens and violently arrests a journalist capturing people milling around once a curfew has been in place.  The city paid damages to the reporter for Hersl’s actions.

Hersl attacking a journalist

 

Continue reading “Oh, Danny Boy: One of Baltimore City’s Dirtiest Cop Goes on Trial” →