Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Baltimore Police Arrest Couple Asking For Directions to the Interstate

Joshua Kelly and Llara Brook, of Chantilly, Virginia are new converts to Mapquest. The couple was returning from watching the Baltimore Orioles beat Kansas City when they became lost trying to find the interstate – a very common occurrence for people not familiar with Baltimore. Their mistake was assuming that Officer Natalie Preston was there to help them. When they pulled over to ask her for directions, she gave them a ticket for running a stop sign and then refused to give him even a hint of how to get back on the interstate. When they then tried to ask another officer, Preston allegedly pulled over and not only prevented that officer from giving directions, but proceeded to arrest the couple for trespass. I just saw this story from 2006 and I am trying to determine its current status.


Kelly recounted that when they asked Preston for directions she responded, “you found your own way in here, you can find your own way out.”

Preston, a six-year veteran, then saw the couple pull over next to another cruiser and immediately intervened. Kelly recounted her saying “my partner is not going to step in front of me and tell you directions if I’m not.”

She then proceeded to arrest them.

I have to say that this is not the first time that I have heard complaints from people at Baltimore games about the attitude of Baltimore police officers. However, if proven true, this account would indicate someone who should not be given law enforcement authority.

Ironically, the city has been trying to get officers to be nicer to people, including tourists with a new policy that discourages arrest when advice is sufficient:

“It is important to remember that a timely word of advice rather than arrest … can be a more effective means of achieving a desired end.”

The Baltimore police have contested their story and said that the couple was “argumentative,” here. In her police report, Preston does not appear to even mention that the couple was seeking directions. Instead the report states: “The driver, Mr. Kelley, became argumentative and began attempting to tear the citation out of the book … and I had to take it out of his hands.” Kelley denies that account.

These would not appear to be the type of people who lack respect for officers as a general matter: both Kelley’s and Brook’s parents are police officers in Pennsylvania.

For the full story, click here.

30 thoughts on “Baltimore Police Arrest Couple Asking For Directions to the Interstate”

  2. Welcome to Baltimoron City!! You finally realize City has plenty moron people live in the city. They amount no good people.

  3. Even more follow up. The infamous officer Salvatore Rivieri was fired. This seventeen-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department was caught on video manhandling a 14 year old skateboarder. Rivieri was caught on video in that incident which went viral. As a result of that news story, an art student came forward with a video made a year earlier when he recognized Rivieri as the same officer who had threatened him. Rivieri was eventually cleared on charges of being discourteous and using excessive force after an Internal Affairs investigation; however he was convicted of administrative charges of failing to write a report. The IA panel recommended that he be suspended five days, but the Police Commissioner disagreed and fired him.

    My question was how come an officer with 17 years experience is on sidewalk patrol, driving a funny little golf cart and wearing bicycle shorts? I think we could guess the answer. My only real question is how thick is his personnel file due to citizen complaints?

    Here is the first video of him manhandling and verbally abusing the skateboarder:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPEeCYPGjm0

    And here he is with artist Billy Friebele and Billy’s moving box:

  4. More follow up. I see where the city of Baltimore finally reached a settlement with thirteen plaintiffs in the amount of $870,000. Joshua Kelly and Llara Brook were among the plaintiffs.

  5. I think this says it all:

    psy·chop·a·thy   /saɪˈkɒpəθi/ Show Spelled[sahy-kop-uh-thee]
    noun, plural ‐thies. Psychiatry .
    1. a mental disorder in which an individual manifests amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc.

    obviously, police officers are trained to obey superiors, orders and the law. this is restricting the desire to think for one self, resulting in robotic behavior. it is impossible for a machine to establish a relationship. as an officer, your one function is to fulfil your function: you’re not supposed to make friends, rather you ARE your duties.

  6. Pingback: Arrested By Police For Asking Directions….Welcome to the New Amerika - Fight The Law

  9. Must make one feel so good to have that much power. Are there skeletons that one would find in the officers past? Nah, too many rivers.

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