Legal Fund Protests Baltimore Cop Raids
Press Release
January 30, 1965

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Press Releases, Volume 2. Legal Fund Protests Baltimore Cop Raids, 1965. 7853ba9c-b592-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/a9d1ecf4-ba3f-482d-a9f7-55b4abb057b8/legal-fund-protests-baltimore-cop-raids. Accessed April 27, 2025.
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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