05/26/2026
May 2026 marks the one year anniversary of two significant police violence incidents in the Frederick area: the traumatic threat of violence by Sheriff deputies against a 15 year old boy scout during a vigil; and FPD unlawfully breaking up a protest, perpetrating police brutality against protestors and then justifying their violence with lies. These incidents are indicative of wider systemic problems with racism, policing, and the carceral system. We cannot excuse or accept state violence against our community members in any form, whether perpetrated by ICE, the police, or any other state actors, especially during this period of accelerating fascism. Young people across Frederick County are desperate for a better future and deserve the freedom to pursue that future without the threat of state violence, whether through vigils, protest, or other activities. If we cannot exercise our rights without terrifying state retaliation, do we truly have those rights? See below for more details.
Per the Maryland ACLU, on May 25th, 2025, the boy scout was conducting a Memorial Day vigil with his troop at 4 am, when two Frederick County deputies "rushed out of the darkness at [him], screaming "GET ON THE F***ING GROUND!" They pointed a handgun, rifle, and flashlight at him, simply because he was Black and young; the child slowly lowered himself to the ground, hands raised. To our knowledge there has been no genuine accountability for this traumatizing incident or efforts from the sheriff to prevent similar occurrences in the future; in fact, the child's mother was not allowed into the police accountability board hearing. This resulted in a letter from the Maryland attorney general. See links in comments for more info.
Similarly, earlier that same month, on May 1st, 2025, Frederick city police unlawfully broke up a protest, brutalizing and arresting four protestors, falsely charging them - they were only exercising their first amendment rights. Court proceedings later revealed the police lied in their reports and on the stand, attempting to justify and/or conceal their state violence. There must be consequences for this corrupt abuse of power, funded by our own tax dollars. If able, please considering donating to the legal aid fund for these protestors, as fighting these false charges in court was very costly. See link in comments.
