Baltimore Cop Pleads Guilty to Bus Stop Assault
A Baltimore City police officer has pleaded guilty and will serve prison time in a police brutality case.
Vincent Cosom Jr., 29, pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree assault. He was sentenced to five years in prison with all but six months suspended.
“No one is above the law,” Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said. “It is our job to pursue justice fairly and equally in all cases regardless of one’s occupation and that is exactly what we did today.”
On June 15, city crime cameras show Cosom hitting Baltimore resident Kollin Truss in the face at a bus stop at Greenmount and North avenues.
Cosom’s attorney, Shawn Owens, requested a full suspended sentence, but the judge said she would not consider it, making sure the officer spent some time in jail.
Owens sought leniency, telling the judge that Cosom made an error in judgment and accepted responsibility for his actions. Without a doubt, Owens said, Cosom is going to lose his job
The attorney said prior to throwing the blows, Cosom saw Truss push and shove Truss’ girlfriend. Truss was charged with assault, but the charges were dropped when an investigation determined Cosom’s story was contradicted by the video. The case hinged on whether the force used by the officer was justified.
Owens admitted the situation could have and should have been handled differently.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn seemed determined that Cosom would spend some time in jail. What troubled her in the video was watching as others got in between Cosom and Truss and seeing Cosom “bouncing around like you were in a boxing ring.” She said, “This gives me no pleasure when sentencing Cosom,” and she reminded him that officers are held to a higher standard.
The judge said Cosom embarrassed himself and put a cloud of stain on every Baltimore City police officer.
In a written victim impact statement given to the court, Truss called it a traumatic incident that caused him ridicule and humiliation. He has filed a multimillion-dollar police brutality lawsuit.
