Legal Fund Protests Baltimore Cop Raids

    10 Columbus Circle 
New York, N.Y. 10019 
JUdson 6-8397 

Legal Defense and Educational Fund 
PRESS RELEASE 
President 

Dr. Allan Knight Chalmers 
Director-Counsel FOR RELEASE 

Jack Greenberg IMMEDIATELY, Saturday 
ounsel January 30, 196 Co 

nstance Baker Motley 

LEGAL FUND PROTESTS 
BALTIMORE COP RAIDS 

BALTIMORE, MD. --"I saw many policemen lined-up with guns at 

my fence. Oh, my God! What have we done, what do they want," 
testified Miss Lucinda Wallace, "The officers were crude 
because they barged into the house without asking to be 
admitted and rude because they were impolite and evasive 

when asked why they were there," complained Mrs, Dorothy J. 
Barrick. 

These remarks were a part of the testimony given by 
witnesses before the United States District Court in Maryland, 
Attorneys for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund 
represented several Negro citizens, protesting searches that 
"were arbitrary and unreasonable and violated plaintiffs’ 
rights to due process of law and to equal protection, of laws 
protected by the Fourteenth Amendment." 

More than 250 searches of Negro homes, churches and public 
places were triggered by a Christmas Eve holdup of Luxie's 
Liquor Store, resulting in the shooting of Lt, Joseph Maskell 
and the slaying of Sgt. Jack Cooper. Both were white police. % 
officers. The Baltimore police are searching for Samuel and » 
Earl Veney, sought as the "Veney Brothers", who are accused of 
conducting the holdup and shootings. They are Negro. 

Legal Defense Fund Attorneys Juanita Jackson Mitchell and 
Tucker R. Dearing, of the Baltimore NAACP, and James M, Nabrit, 
III and Director-Counsel Jack Greenberg, of the Legal Defense 
Fund New York City, contend, in their complaint that the police: 

*,...beat upon the front door of the home of the plaintiffs 
with loud banging noises in the early morning hours, focusing 
the beams of strong search lights upon their homes, and with 
drawn guns gained entrance to the home and did the following 

acts, among others: 

* They aroused the plaintiffs from their sleep, caused 
them to rise from their beds, and placed them and 
their children in great fear. 

* They searched all rooms and closets of the house, 
including the basement, and left without any word of 
explanation for their acts ... 

* None of the plaintiffs have been charged with any 
crime or offense, 

Jesse DeVore, Jr., Director of Public I ion—Night Number 212 ide 9-8487 SH 



Baltimore Cop Raids -2- January 30, 1965 

In the city of Baltimore, there has been a constant 
outcry coming from the Negro community, many of whom believe 

that this type conduct, during a search, was only sanctioned 

because it was within a Negro area, 

wa Commenting on the statement by Commissioner of Police, 
4 Bernard C. Schmidt, defendant in the action, when he said 

“= -the Negroes who had beensearched showed "excellent cooperation",.” 

a local newspaper editorial said: 

"It is the same kind of ‘excellent cooperation’ 
the Jews gave to Hitler's storm troopers when 
they came with pistols, shotguns and machine 

guns and violated their rights." 

Legal Defense Fund Attorneys have asked the District Court 

“eto enjoin the Baltimore police from: 

* * Continuing or resuming the practice of making unlawful 
entries and searches of the homes and persons of 
plaintiffs and others similarly situated without 
lawful search warrants; 

assing, threatening, (or) intimidating ... any 
on because they protest, object to, or resist 
unlawful entries and searches; 

= a Counseling or advising any persons to do any 

"8" OF the acts mentioned herein. 

Presently, witnesses for the defenses are scheduled to be 
heard by the District Court before giving its decision %, 

ms , 

ent 

RON Toles