Three protesters are suing Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), claiming the company instigated their "unlawful arrest" with false information during a 2023 gas infrastructure project.
According to attorney Thiru Vignarajah, who represents the protesters, BGE called police on June 22, 2023, to arrest "peaceful protesters" who objected to BGE's installation of external gas regulators.
According to Vignarajah, police body cam footage of the incident showed the officers' "reluctance" to make the "unlawful arrests that BGE was demanding."
A spokesperson for BGE said the company does not comment on pending litigation, but said they "disagree with the allegations and characterizations made in the suit and will defend against those claims in court."
"We operate the oldest gas delivery system in the nation, and every day our employees work to safely maintain and modernize that system to provide reliable service to more than 700,000 customers," the company said in a statement.
According to the lawsuit, BGE was unlawfully terminating gas service for some residents in Baltimore's Federal Hill neighborhood who opposed having external pressure regulators drilled into historic homes.
Neighbors gathered to protest, and "BGE fed Baltimore police a series of false claims to compel their arrest," according to Vignarajah.
Three women were restrained, arrested, and held for nearly 20 hours in the Baltimore City Detention Center, the lawsuit alleges.
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