Joseph Crystal was a rising star in the Baltimore police department, but when he reported a fellow officer for violently assaulting a drug suspect he was bullied until he felt compelled to resign . Joseph Crystal was a rising star in the Baltimore police department, making arrests that made the TV news – but when he reported a fellow officer for violently assaulting a drug suspect he claims he was bullied until he felt compelled to resign. Crystal witnessed a colleague beat up a suspect so brutally that he was left with a broken ankle, but after reporting the matter to his superior, rather than turn on the misguided policeman, he says his department turned on him. 'If you snitch, your career is done, ' he says he was told. He was labelled a rat, had a dead rat left on his car windshield and one colleague told him 'to pray you're not the star witness', it has been reported. And on more than one occasion, the policeman alleges, his colleagues refused to provide back up as he tackled suspects. 'I never imagined that doing the right thing as a cop could cost me so much,' Crystal, 31, told the New York Daily News. The alleged harassment was all the more shocking given that Crystal was one of Baltimore's outstanding officers. Crystal now works for the Walton County Sheriff's Office in Florida, but is suing his old department over his treatment. Police work was in his blood. The son of two NYPD officers, Crystal flew through the ranks, becoming a detective within two years of joining the force and eventually heading up a violent crime unit. Crystal said that he rose through the force 'like a rocket', describing his role as 'a dream come true'. But on October 27, 2011, everything changed – the dream becoming a total nightmare, he claims. Along with other members of his Violent Crime Impact Section, that night he witnessed a drug suspect, Antoine Green, escape an arrest on foot. Desperate to get off the street, Green kicked in the door of a nearby house and took refuge. The house happened to belong to the girlfriend of a Baltimore policeman called Anthony Williams, who naturally dialled 911. Green was subsequently picked up – but then Williams showed up, while off duty, and was seen by Crystal having a conversation with another officer, Sergeant Marinos Gialamas, who was still at the scene. Green would later reveal that Gialamas told Williams that he would 'take care of it'. What Crystal saw next totally shocked him. The van containing Green returned to the house and he was taken back inside and viciously beaten up. Crystal said: 'I can hear the assault. I hear the banging. I hear the guy hit the floor. Ostracised: Joseph Crystal claims that even his police chief failed to stop the abuse he received at the Baltimore police department (file picture . 'A couple minutes later, they bring the guy out. His shirt's ripped. He's having trouble standing. Later on, I found out his ankle was broken. It was obvious not just to any cop but to any person that saw it what had just transpired.' Crystal said he felt he had no choice but to report the crime – and his parents agreed. But when he did, he said he became vilified. He alleges that his immediate boss declared: 'If you snitch, your career is done. Nobody's going to work with you.' Colleagues openly called him a rat and a snitch, he said. One left a drawing of a rat and cheese on his desk. 'People don't like you,' he was told. And, says Crystal, there was no let up. He claims that someone set up a fake Twitter account in his name, sending 'confessions' to reporters that he was committing adultery, officers refused to accompany him on patrol and he was even ordered to retreat from the arrest of a drug dealer by his boss because no one would provide assistance. What's more, he said, his security clearance was revoked, he was demoted to night-shift patrol work and his colleagues began to threaten him ahead of Williams and Gialamas' trial, the pair having been charged over the assault in October 2012. On one disturbing occasion a sergeant rang him and said 'you better pray to God that you're not the star witness', Crystal told the New York Daily News. The abuse wasn't confined to work, either, he alleges. After Thanksgiving on November 2012 someone placed a dead rat on the windshield of his car, while parked on the driveway of his home. Crystal says that at this point his wife became 'hysterical'. Promises that the perpetrators would be rooted out by police chief Anthony Batts came to nothing, Crystal said. 'How do you expect people to trust cops when they let this happen?' he said. After a trial in February 2014 in which Crystal testified, Williams was found guilty of assault and obstruction of justice and jailed for 45 days and Gialamas found guilty of misconduct and put on probation. Crystal regarded himself as a police officer with plenty of resilience, but the alleged harassment eventually overwhelmed him and he resigned from the force in August 2014, his ostracisation having continued even after the trial wrapped up. He is suing the Baltimore police department for $2.5million. Crystal's attorney, Don Discepolo, said: 'Actions like those taken within the Baltimore City Police Department tarnish the badge of law enforcement, add to the growing tension between police and community, and form an ever more divisive sense of trust within the public at-large. 'Joseph Crystal acted in good faith, as any responsible individual citizen would, and we are proud to represent him for his courageousness in standing tall against poor judgment and inexcusable actions of his colleagues and superiors.'
Joseph Crystal was a rising star in the Baltimore police department .
In 2011 he witnessed an instance of vicious police brutality while on duty .
After reporting what he saw to his superiors he claims he was ostracized .
Crystal said he was called a snitch and a rat to his face by colleagues .
Someone left a dead rat on his car while parked at his house, he said .
He alleges he lost his security clearance and was demoted to patrol work .
The officer is now suing Baltimore police department for $2.5million .
Joseph Crystal was a rising star in the Baltimore police department, but when he reported a fellow officer for violently assaulting a drug suspect he was bullied until he felt compelled to resign . Joseph Crystal was a rising star in the Baltimore police department, making arrests that made the TV news – but when he reported a fellow officer for violently assaulting a drug suspect he claims he was bullied until he felt compelled to resign. Crystal witnessed a colleague beat up a suspect so brutally that he was left with a broken ankle, but after reporting the matter to his superior, rather than turn on the misguided policeman, he says his department turned on him. 'If you snitch, your career is done, ' he says he was told. He was labelled a rat, had a dead rat left on his car windshield and one colleague told him 'to pray you're not the star witness', it has been reported. And on more than one occasion, the policeman alleges, his colleagues refused to provide back up as he tackled suspects. 'I never imagined that doing the right thing as a cop could cost me so much,' Crystal, 31, told the New York Daily News. The alleged harassment was all the more shocking given that Crystal was one of Baltimore's outstanding officers. Crystal now works for the Walton County Sheriff's Office in Florida, but is suing his old department over his treatment. Police work was in his blood. The son of two NYPD officers, Crystal flew through the ranks, becoming a detective within two years of joining the force and eventually heading up a violent crime unit. Crystal said that he rose through the force 'like a rocket', describing his role as 'a dream come true'. But on October 27, 2011, everything changed – the dream becoming a total nightmare, he claims. Along with other members of his Violent Crime Impact Section, that night he witnessed a drug suspect, Antoine Green, escape an arrest on foot. Desperate to get off the street, Green kicked in the door of a nearby house and took refuge. The house happened to belong to the girlfriend of a Baltimore policeman called Anthony Williams, who naturally dialled 911. Green was subsequently picked up – but then Williams showed up, while off duty, and was seen by Crystal having a conversation with another officer, Sergeant Marinos Gialamas, who was still at the scene. Green would later reveal that Gialamas told Williams that he would 'take care of it'. What Crystal saw next totally shocked him. The van containing Green returned to the house and he was taken back inside and viciously beaten up. Crystal said: 'I can hear the assault. I hear the banging. I hear the guy hit the floor. Ostracised: Joseph Crystal claims that even his police chief failed to stop the abuse he received at the Baltimore police department (file picture . 'A couple minutes later, they bring the guy out. His shirt's ripped. He's having trouble standing. Later on, I found out his ankle was broken. It was obvious not just to any cop but to any person that saw it what had just transpired.' Crystal said he felt he had no choice but to report the crime – and his parents agreed. But when he did, he said he became vilified. He alleges that his immediate boss declared: 'If you snitch, your career is done. Nobody's going to work with you.' Colleagues openly called him a rat and a snitch, he said. One left a drawing of a rat and cheese on his desk. 'People don't like you,' he was told. And, says Crystal, there was no let up. He claims that someone set up a fake Twitter account in his name, sending 'confessions' to reporters that he was committing adultery, officers refused to accompany him on patrol and he was even ordered to retreat from the arrest of a drug dealer by his boss because no one would provide assistance. What's more, he said, his security clearance was revoked, he was demoted to night-shift patrol work and his colleagues began to threaten him ahead of Williams and Gialamas' trial, the pair having been charged over the assault in October 2012. On one disturbing occasion a sergeant rang him and said 'you better pray to God that you're not the star witness', Crystal told the New York Daily News. The abuse wasn't confined to work, either, he alleges. After Thanksgiving on November 2012 someone placed a dead rat on the windshield of his car, while parked on the driveway of his home. Crystal says that at this point his wife became 'hysterical'. Promises that the perpetrators would be rooted out by police chief Anthony Batts came to nothing, Crystal said. 'How do you expect people to trust cops when they let this happen?' he said. After a trial in February 2014 in which Crystal testified, Williams was found guilty of assault and obstruction of justice and jailed for 45 days and Gialamas found guilty of misconduct and put on probation. Crystal regarded himself as a police officer with plenty of resilience, but the alleged harassment eventually overwhelmed him and he resigned from the force in August 2014, his ostracisation having continued even after the trial wrapped up. He is suing the Baltimore police department for $2.5million. Crystal's attorney, Don Discepolo, said: 'Actions like those taken within the Baltimore City Police Department tarnish the badge of law enforcement, add to the growing tension between police and community, and form an ever more divisive sense of trust within the public at-large. 'Joseph Crystal acted in good faith, as any responsible individual citizen would, and we are proud to represent him for his courageousness in standing tall against poor judgment and inexcusable actions of his colleagues and superiors.'
Joseph Crystal was a rising star in the Baltimore rat and a snitch, he said. One left a drawing of said, his security clearance was revoked, he was demoted to night-shift patrol work and his someone placed a dead rat on the windshield of his car, while parked on the driveway of his He is suing the Baltimore police department for colleagues and superiors.'