WASHINGTON (7News) — A $4 million whistleblower lawsuit has been filed against the Metropolitan Police Department by a 21-year veteran of the force.
Inspector Michael Jones said he began warning MPD leadership about widespread crime-classification problems in February 2024, according to the lawsuit, more than a year before the controversy erupted publicly.
Documents show Jones later sent emails to the Department of Justice that documented his concerns.
RELATED | Read the full DC police report detailing investigation into crime data manipulation
The lawsuit claims the inspector then became a target of internal affairs in retaliation for voicing his concerns. He claimed in the suit that MPD sought to discipline him not for misclassifying crimes himself, but for allegedly not doing enough to stop the practice he says he repeatedly reported.
The lawsuit alleges violations of D.C.'s Whistleblower Protection Act and Human Rights Act. He is seeking $4 million in damages, plus costs, attorney’s fees, interest and other relief, according to the lawsuit.
READ THE FULL LAWSUIT BELOW:
MPD Internal Affairs filed its own report on the crime data manipulation within the department earlier this year. The document outlines what investigators describe as a pattern of reclassifying crimes across the department.
The practice saw members of the department actively reclassifying violent crimes as less serious offenses. Robberies were logged as theft. Assaults with weapons were...
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