Martin O'Malley cut short a trip to the British Isles to return to Baltimore amid unrest in his city, but a former police officer told MSNBC on Wednesday that O'Malley's return could cause even more trouble.
O'Malley's time as mayor of Baltimore is the reason for the turmoil caused after the death of Freddie Gray, 25, in police custody, former Baltimore police officer Neill Franklin told
"Andrea Mitchell Reports."
"I don't want to say this, but I'm gonna say it anyway: If he's coming back to town, you may see a riot," Franklin said.
O'Malley instituted a zero-tolerance policy that led to more arrests but also heightened tensions between police and residents, he said.
Mitchell noted that O'Malley has, in fact, been back in town for two days.
David Simon, creator of the HBO drama "The Wire," which was set in Baltimore, had similar words of condemnation for O'Malley.
"[W]hat happened under his watch as Baltimore's mayor was that he wanted to be governor, and at a certain point, with the crime rate high ... he put no faith in real policing," Simon told the
Marshall Project.
Simon blamed "mass arrests" for minor offenses and arresting people for being out at night simply to clear the streets.
"O'Malley defends the wholesale denigration of black civil rights to this day," Simon said.
O'Malley is
expected to challenge former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for president. Simon said he would still vote for O'Malley should he win the nomination.
"It's not personal, and I admire some of his other stances, on the death penalty and gay rights," Simon said.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.