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Prince George's Police Clear Mayor, Family
Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo and his wife, Trinity Tomsic, lost their two dogs in the drug raid by police.
(By Marvin Joseph -- The Washington Post)
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In yesterday's interview, Jackson said that although he has yet to see evidence of wrongdoing, he would not hesitate to act if he finds his deputies overstepped their bounds.
"We hold everyone to the highest standards," Jackson said. "I will not put up with disrespecting this community and using this badge for more than what it is. This badge is a ray of hope and a beacon of light."
Jackson also expressed dismay at the civil rights review. "I've been here 19 years, and this agency has been in existence since 1696. The Office of the Sheriff of Prince George's County has never been under a civil rights review or no one has ever called for the Department of Justice to come in," he said. "There is no reason, there has been no reason, and as long as I'm here there will not be a reason for it."
The sheriff offered new details about the raid, saying that his deputies were briefed on the layout of the home and that they knew there were dogs inside.
The SWAT team had planned to gather at the front door and demand entry to the home and would have forcefully entered only if those inside the home refused entry, he said.
Jackson reiterated his explanation that it was a scream by Calvo's mother-in-law, Georgia Porter, who saw officers running toward the house, that changed the calculation of officers conducting the raid.
"At that point, they see you, you don't see them, and you don't know where they are. . . . That's dangerous," Jackson said. "You really don't have time to deal with that dog, you really don't have time to deal with that person. You have to secure and go.
"It is unfortunate that those dogs were killed," he said. "That would be the case whether it was the mayor's house or anyone else's house. A loss of life is always unfortunate. That is not our goal."
Staff writer Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report.
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