Kelvin Sewell, the popular and respected first Black police chief in Pocomoke City.
Chief Sewell brought true community policing and a dramatic drop in crime. In the process, he became the face of accountable policing in this small Eastern Shore town. Yet when Sewell defended Black officers on his staff who filed serious complaints of racial harassment, he along with the other Black officers became targets of retaliation.
In an after-the-fact excuse to discredit Chief Sewell, the state went after Sewell based on a disagreement about police handling of a traffic accident in which no one was hurt, and all damages were paid by the driver's insurance. During a rushed 2016 trial in Worcester County, a nearly all-white jury wrongfully convicted him of "misconduct in office" based on his decision to process the incident as an accident, rather than something more serious.
Even though the Maryland Court of Special Appeals has thrown out the wrongful conviction, the Maryland State Prosecutor still wants to on purse retrialing the case. The retrial is now scheduled to take place on May 14 & 15, at the Circuit Court in Snow Hill, Maryland. Chief Sewell and his family would appreciate you coming and showing up in the court house on May 14 and May 15. We want everyone in that court room to know that the community stands with Chief Sewell as he seeks justice.
