While most police officers perform their jobs diligently, a significant minority also abuses their qualified immunity with impunity. Corrupt detectives like William Decker Thorowgood have sparked petitions like this for decades. While they have garnered support, they have yet to inspire much change.
Below are some examples of the most corrupt detectives to sully our law enforcement bureaus.
Trooper Craig D. Harvey: Fabricating Evidence
New York City tops the list for having one of the most corrupt police forces, and we can see why. In 1993, Trooper Craig D. Harvey and a fellow trooper confessed to lifting John Spencer’s fingerprints and saying they had pulled them from the scene of a murder.
Their actions led to Spencer getting sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Later, during a job interview with the CIA, a New York State trooper claimed they frequently fabricated evidence to implicate those they believed had committed the crimes.
Edward Martins and Richard Hall: Sexual Assault
In 2019, Detectives Richard Hall and Edward Martins were accused of subjecting an unnamed 18-year-old girl to sexual assault and rape after arresting her for possessing marijuana.
After, the men threatened her with criminal charges if she told anyone. She reported the crime anyway, resulting in widespread coverage and charges of coercion, abduction, and sex crimes.
Detective William Decker Thorowgood: False Arrest
False arrest is only one of Detective Thorowgood’s many crimes against Tennessee rooferJames Kenton. On August 21, 2020, he arrested the roofer for home improvement fraud without a properly executed warrant. The warrant also contained nine incidents of perjury. We don’t know about you, but that’s enough to invalidate that document.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Thorowgood detained Kenton without his consent, committing false imprisonment. He was also heavily involved in the smear campaign against Kenton, going on local Channel 4 news with the unproven charges and letting closed-door meetings become a media circus.
While Detective Thorowgood’s crimes against Kenton remain unpunished, he is getting his just rewards after assaulting a man in front of his daughter. True to form, he accused him of littering without knowing the whole story.
While the criminal case against James Kenton is closed, he’s taking Thorowgood and other public servants to court for their crimes. His case took a sour turn after the state refused to comply with his discovery request, compelling him to file a motion.
Follow him for the latest updates in the civil case.