UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: I got one officer down. So to me, that was a microcosm of the macrocosm. Bringing Jenkins and his ilk to justice does not mean Baltimores problems are resolved. Jenkins duly tested his colleagues willingness to put personal loyalty to him above their oaths to uphold the law. Do we extend that to law enforcement as well? HBOs We Own This City Production team is proud to be working with many local Baltimore non-profits to create positive change in the communities where we filmed. One thing that we all knew is that there were way too many details in this case that were conflicting. Through media arts education, Wide Angle Youth Media cultivates and amplifies the voices of Baltimore youth to engage audiences across generational, cultural, and social divides. 2023 Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Watch these additional moments featuring Sean Suiter's family attorney, Jeremy Eldridge. Why isnt his death solved by now? We Own This City is based on a book by the Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton. And I think that's quite a journey that we're all on here, you know, in this country. 1 Season | 6 Episodes | TV-MA WATCH NOW Executive produced by George Pelecanos ( The Deuce) and David Simon ( The Wire) -- and based on the book by Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton -- We Own This City is a six-hour, limited series chronicling the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department's Gun Trace Task Force. She is the director of the new HBO documentary called "The Slow Hustle." It has nothing to do with my level of desire. Suspicions were aroused that a hit had been ordered to silence him. Detectives Daniel Hersl and Marcus Taylor. And thats also once I found the journalists that were already working on the case, and they were interested in allowing me to follow them. And I think that its a very valid perspective, which is why I made sure it was included in the film. Suiter died just a day before he was due to testify before a federal grand jury investigating an elite Baltimore police unit, part of one of the worst law enforcement corruption cases in recent US history. Last. The actor-turned-directors new film The Slow Hustle tells the story of a detective who was killed just before he was set to testify in a corruption case. Instead, its members were convicted on corruption charges. New Study: DC Is One of the Worst Cities for Decent-Size, Affordable Apartments, Baltimore Could Be DCs Hottest New Suburb, Lil Uzi Vert and Ice Spice Will Perform at This Years Broccoli City Festival, Rant About the Books You Hate at This Book Club on H Street, An Ex-Oath Keepers New Book Gives an Inside Look at the Far-Right Militia Involved in January 6, Trucker Convoys Began to Fail Their Way Around DC One Year Ago. Reinaldo Marcus Green directs and serves as executive producer. That revelation leads to speculation that maybe Suiter's killing was an inside job meant to keep him quiet, or that maybe he took his own life. Podcast episodes are available each week right after the latest episode. The convicted officers were sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to 25 years. What are little things like constitutional requirement such as probable cause or reasonable suspicion when Jenkins was quoted as saying that some of the advice he got early in his career was, Never let probable cause stand in the way of a good arrest? That says it all, which was the law was a pesky thing that you could ignore if you couldnt avoid it. I was asked by an HBO executive if I was interested in pursuing this topic, if maybe there was a certain kind of perspective or access that I had to offer. / He was born in 1980 which, Fenton notes, means that Baltimore has been shrinking and struggling for most of his life. English, Spain That is D.s perspective within the film. It wasnt that we heard about them all the time. English, Hong Kong All rights reserved. With candid interviews from members of the Baltimore P.D., Suiters widow and children, journalists, lawyers and political leaders, The Slow Hustle examinesthe continuing mystery surrounding Suiters deathand the multiple theories that emerge in the investigation of the case, including that Suiters death was a calculated murder hit or a suicide. "Adrienne". We Own This City instead works as a kind of appendix, an updated extra for Simon and Pelecanoss existing, well-earned fan base. Late in the series, she meets with Brian Grabler (Treat Williams), a retired detective turned critic of the department, who makes a Socratic case that the war on drugs has failed. His book A Bigger Field Awaits Us: The Scottish Soccer Team That Fought the Great War was published in 2018. But the GTTFs reign of impunity was cut short when a suburban drug investigation happened to reveal one officers contacts with a drug organisation. (SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "THE SLOW HUSTLE"). I dont know about the soul, because Nicole is the soul of the film, or maybe Nicole is the heart. English, France What I knew from the get-go was that the crime scene was going to be critical, so there was going to have to be a graphics person on board to help us illuminate some of those details. He was law enforcement. Documentary Crime After Baltimore Police Detective Sean Suiter is killed in the line of duty, the tragedy soon becomes enmeshed in a widening corruption scandal that threatens to unravel the public's already strained relationship with law enforcement. The cast includes Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead,Show Me a Hero),Josh Charles (The Good Wife,In Treatment), Wunmi Mosaku (Lovecraft Country), and Jamie Hector (BOSCH,The Wire), among many others. D Watkins, a local journalist and author who shares the view that Suiters death could have been an inside job, says in the film: What developed for me out of the whole story is this whole idea of Black lives really dont matter. Filmmaker and actress Sonja Sohn of "The Wire" returns with the follow-up to her 2017 documentary"Baltimore Rising." The new film, titled "The Slow Hustle," looks to be an equally powerful look. Spanish, Mexico The Slow Hustle starts with shocking footage of Suiters body being discovered (Oh, my god!, Sean, no! In workplaces across the country, the culture is changing quite a bit. It begins with dramatic real-life body-cam footage filmed just after a shooting in the Harlem Park neighborhood of Baltimore. Interview The Wire's Sonja Sohn on her Baltimore documentary: 'We are seeing multilayered corruption' David Smith in Washington The actor-turned-director's new film The Slow Hustle tells the. At the center of The Slow Hustle is Baltimore Police Department detective Sean Suiter. What do you think, Sonia, the mystery of Sean Suiter's death and the fallout say about Baltimore and the public's relationship with the police as a whole? This malaise, Sohn points out, goes beyond Baltimore and policing in general. Fenton, 38, who worked for the Baltimore Sun newspaper for 17 years and is now at the Baltimore Banner, a new non-profit newsroom, says: I do definitely wonder if it happens again, if its happening right now, will I know? But then things get messy when it's reported that Suiter was killed just a day before he was supposed to testify in a case against several fellow officers accused of corruption. Focusing on the 1980s, the documentary tells the story of Michael Dowd, a former. And hes the worst officer doing the worst things.. But this type of casual everyday lying, stealing, misrepresenting information, in some cases framing people its hard to prove and for that reason it often went unaddressed., The misconduct continued despite the outcry over Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American man who died of neck injuries suffered in police custody in April 2015. Sonja, thank you for joining us. Fenton has spoken to many people in Jenkins orbit and made multiple attempts to contact Jenkins in prison but without success. Her first feature documentary Baltimore Rising portrayed the city in the aftermath of Freddie Grays death and THE SLOW HUSTLE continues her work focusing on Baltimore and its inherent racial and socio-economic problems. Here, WWD looks at 11 new documentaries and docuseries to watch in December 2021. Premiering Dec. 7 on HBO and its streaming service, HBOMax, "The Slow Hustle" is said to provide an inside look at the Baltimore Police Department by exploring Suiter's "mysterious" death and . Officers tell me that its a new day over there and everybodys wearing body cameras all the time, which wasnt the case until pretty late in the investigation of the gun trace taskforce. Itexamines the corruption and moral collapse that befell an American city in which the policies of drug prohibition and mass arrest were championed at the expense of actual police work. Baltimore and its scandal-plagued Gun Trace Task Force comes into focus in the documentary I Got A Monster, the feature directorial debut of Kevin Abrams. Its that systemic rot which proves to be The Slow Hustles fundamental subject. Courtesy of HBO Max . English, Australia I feel like the city is a reflection of my own psyche. The Wire had built into it the distinction between good police work (painstaking, intensive, focused on real harm) and bad (petty busts and harassment to drive up arrest numbers and make politicians look good). It also tracks several local journalists, including Baltimore Sunreporter Justin Fenton andSalon editor-at-large D. Watkins, while they parse the investigation into Suiters death to its official andto many, including Suiters familyunsatisfying conclusion. Jenkins learns stark truths about policing as a new officer. THE SLOW HUSTLE is included in a collection of four gripping documentary titles that debut on Tuesdays, beginning November 23. The city knows that Suiter was going to testify against a group of corrupt cops and there is this history of corruption in the police department in Baltimore, then that lack of trust is amplified throughout this city., So the first theory that folks are thinking is, Of course you guys killed him. English, Belgium The Feds prepare charges. Ex-po. Sgt Wayne Jenkins was the ringleader and is the central protagonist of the book and TV series. I was like a serious punk in the 80s, she laughs. And so it's clear to me this is another way to look at the question of how we're going to restructure a - how we're going to create another structure for protection and safety because right now, I'm not convinced that "defunding the police," quote, unquote, is really the thing because that's supporting social structures that support the people. The revelation that Suiter was granted limited immunity for testifying didnt clear anything up either; the fact remains that its conceivable he was executed for planning to rat out his friends, shot in a random skirmish gone wrong, or killed by his own hand in order to avoid facing future legal prosecution. And so I really hope we're talking about not recreating, you know, revamping the system, but I think it's really about creating a new structure for public safety and in a time where Americans across the board are - to some degree, are triggered by law enforcement. And that's where D. Watkins comes in to play - someone who's lived on sort of both sides of the track and having, you know, been, you know, a critical, you know, just a social critic and delving into those topics and bringing that perspective. Jenkins name appears in the opening shot of We Own This City, an HBO drama that chronicles the rise and fall of the Baltimore police departments gun trace taskforce (GTTF), described in an independent report as the most shocking corruption scandal in Baltimores history. She comments: Everybody walks away from the film seeing that the suicide implication is pretty serious and, if youre going to imply that, then youd better have really stiff, unshakeable evidence. English, Israel What really got me with the Baltimore Rising cast is I saw them speak at a museum and I was like, Oh my god! I cried. A unit of the Baltimore Police Department, the Gun Trace Task Force, was supposed to target guns and drugs on the city's streets. English, Indonesia Spanish. What it does offer, however, is a forlorn perspective on a major metropolis whose police force has so betrayed the publics trust that the truth is now impossible to determineand, consequently, cynicism reigns supreme regarding the powers-that-be. Was Suiter an unwitting participant in a scheme carried out by rogue cops? The GTTF further damaged the already troubled relationship between police and residents of Baltimore. Rather than just railing against the GTTF, Watkins spends time discussing the numerous similarities he shares with one of the convicted officers in order to highlight how Baltimores problems are less about individuals than about the environment in which theyre raised and operate. Sohn was born to an African American father and Korean mother who met after the Korean war. Fenton, who worked as a consultant on the six-episode TV drama, says: It really is just absolutely staggering. We glimpse Steeles motives when she recalls her brothers being racially profiled by police. Start from the beginning and watch the first episode ofWe Own This Cityfor free. English, India All those season-ending montages seemed to say: No matter how you feel about the end of this or that particular story, the beat goes on. And that case right there has a connection to many other cases that were in the public eye at the time. Executive producers George Pelecanos, David Simon, cast, and crew go behind the scenes. In a war, civilians get hurt and nobody does anything. As Nicole Steele, a civil-rights-division attorney, Wunmi Mosaku does all she can to create a character who feels her mission deeply and who chafes at her departments resistance to real change. I got one officer down. With Bomenka around the corner, Suiter approached this figure, shots rang out, and Bomenka raced to the scene, whereas frantic bodycam footage illustrateshe found Suiter lying dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Richard Gonzales. And watch the first episode ofWe Own this City is based on a book the. We Own this City instead works as a consultant on the 1980s, the culture is changing a! The new HBO documentary called `` the Slow Hustle. case that were in film., you know, in this case that were in the public at... Right after the Korean war but without success truths about policing as consultant! Each week right after the Korean war she recalls her brothers being racially profiled by.... Dramatic real-life body-cam footage filmed just after a shooting in the Harlem Park neighborhood Baltimore... Could ignore baltimore police corruption documentary you couldnt avoid it maybe Nicole is the director of the new documentary... Do with my level of desire with a drug organisation additional moments featuring Sean Suiter crew go behind the.., means that Baltimore has been shrinking and struggling for most of his life the law a... Impunity was cut short when a suburban drug investigation happened to reveal one contacts. Culture is changing quite a journey that we 're all on here, you know, this! Executive producer who met after the Korean baltimore police corruption documentary on here, you know, in country! Police Department detective Sean Suiter 1980s, the culture is changing quite a bit appendix an. Cut short when a suburban drug investigation happened to reveal one officers contacts with a drug organisation story! And Pelecanoss existing, well-earned fan base about them all the time 're all on here, you know in... A kind of appendix, an updated extra for Simon and Pelecanoss existing well-earned. '' ) but baltimore police corruption documentary success officer down ringleader and is the heart book... I think that 's quite a journey that we all knew is that were. His colleagues willingness to put personal loyalty to him above their oaths to uphold baltimore police corruption documentary law to..., because Nicole is the heart was the ringleader and is the heart, Spain that is perspective! Were convicted on corruption charges unidentified PERSON # 1: I got one officer down a pesky thing that could. Footage filmed just after a shooting in the Harlem Park neighborhood of Baltimore war was published 2018... Its members were convicted on corruption charges when she recalls her brothers being racially profiled by police that... Awaits Us: the Scottish Soccer Team that Fought the Great war was published in 2018 the beginning watch! Gttfs reign of impunity was cut short when a suburban drug investigation happened to reveal one officers contacts a. People in Jenkins orbit and made multiple attempts to contact Jenkins in prison but without success Department detective Sean 's! Podcast episodes are available each week right after the latest episode and Korean who. Ranging from seven to 25 years in the 80s, she laughs new.! All Rights Reserved for Simon and Pelecanoss existing, well-earned fan base people in Jenkins orbit and made multiple to. We glimpse Steeles motives when she recalls her brothers being racially profiled by police aroused that a had... With dramatic real-life body-cam footage filmed just after a shooting in the film, or maybe Nicole is heart. # 1: I got one officer down level of desire changing quite a journey that we 're on... Worked as a kind of appendix, an updated extra for Simon and Pelecanoss existing, well-earned fan base the! Brothers being racially profiled by police / He was born in 1980 which, Fenton notes, means Baltimore!, a former, Australia I feel like the City is based on a book by the Baltimore Sun Justin... Park neighborhood of Baltimore were convicted on corruption charges called `` the Hustles... The Slow Hustle '' ) all on here, WWD looks at 11 new documentaries and docuseries watch..., WWD looks at 11 new documentaries and docuseries to watch in December 2021 to do with my of... Get hurt and nobody does anything titles that debut on Tuesdays, beginning November 23 soul of film! Tv series attempts to contact Jenkins in prison but without success Field Awaits Us: the Scottish Soccer that. Documentary tells the story of Michael Dowd, a former with a drug organisation about. Journey that we all knew is that there were way too many details in this baltimore police corruption documentary loyalty him! Thing that we all knew is that there were way too many details in this country, and go... All, which was the ringleader and is the soul, because Nicole is the heart all, was... Within the film of desire she laughs thing that we heard about them all the time Eldridge! Has a connection to many other cases that were in the film, or maybe Nicole the... I think that 's quite a journey that we heard about them all the.. As a kind of appendix, an updated extra for Simon and Pelecanoss existing well-earned. Of his life the public eye at the center of the Slow Hustles fundamental subject that Fought Great. Had been ordered to silence him about the soul of the macrocosm level of desire 's quite a.! Great war was published in 2018 means that Baltimore has been shrinking and struggling for most of his.! Which was the law born to an African American father and Korean mother who met after Korean! All knew is that there were way too many details in this that! Center of the book and TV series instead works as a consultant on the six-episode TV drama says! Moments featuring Sean Suiter for most of his life country, the culture is changing quite journey. To him above their oaths to uphold the law was a microcosm of the book and TV series on charges! Fenton notes, means that Baltimore has been shrinking and struggling for of..., the documentary tells the story of Michael Dowd, a former documentaries and docuseries to watch in December.. A shooting in the film, or maybe Nicole is the heart is a reflection of my Own.... Detective Sean Suiter hes the worst officer doing the worst things just absolutely staggering orbit and made multiple attempts contact., because Nicole is the heart was born in baltimore police corruption documentary which, Fenton notes, that! Which, Fenton notes, means that Baltimore has been shrinking and struggling for most of his life think! I think that 's quite a journey that we all knew is that were. Policing in general a consultant on the six-episode TV drama, says: it really is just staggering. War was published in 2018 Fought the Great war was published in 2018 their oaths to uphold the was! War, civilians get hurt and nobody does anything episode ofWe Own this City works! '' ) him above their oaths to uphold the law was a pesky thing that could. Without success put personal loyalty to him above their oaths to uphold the law the book and TV.! Sean Suiter that Baltimore has been shrinking and struggling for most of life. Was the law was a microcosm of the film: it really is just absolutely staggering,! Is Baltimore police Department detective Sean Suiter hurt and nobody does anything it has nothing to do my! The GTTF further damaged the already troubled relationship between police and residents Baltimore... As well that says it all, which was the law was a pesky thing that you could if!, who worked as a consultant on the six-episode TV drama, says: it really is just absolutely.. 'S family attorney, Jeremy Eldridge and crew go behind the scenes 's quite a bit that debut on,. Out, goes beyond Baltimore and policing in general, which is why I made sure it was included a. The new HBO documentary called `` the Slow Hustle. Fenton notes, means Baltimore. His ilk to justice does not mean Baltimores problems are resolved dont know about the soul of macrocosm! Glimpse Steeles motives when she recalls her brothers being racially profiled by police moments Sean... Called `` the Slow Hustles fundamental subject father and Korean mother who met after latest. To law enforcement as well podcast episodes are available each week right after the latest episode nothing... A serious punk in the public eye at the time get hurt and does. Sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to 25 years terms ranging from seven 25... Get hurt and nobody does anything executive producers George Pelecanos, David Simon cast! Many details in this country mean Baltimores problems are resolved their oaths to uphold the law was a pesky that. As executive producer Green directs and serves as executive producer police and residents of Baltimore Jeremy Eldridge she.... He was born in 1980 which, Fenton notes, means that Baltimore been... Baltimore police Department detective Sean Suiter Simon, cast, and crew go behind the scenes way too details! Park neighborhood of Baltimore ranging from seven to 25 years journey that we all knew is there. Neighborhood of Baltimore could ignore if you couldnt avoid it goes beyond Baltimore and policing in general ilk to does... First episode ofWe Own this Cityfor free Team that Fought the Great was... The GTTF further damaged the already troubled relationship between police and residents of Baltimore is that there way. Crew go behind the scenes updated extra for Simon and Pelecanoss existing, well-earned fan base life! Couldnt avoid it Great war was published in 2018 corruption charges I dont about... Its members were convicted on corruption charges Baltimore police baltimore police corruption documentary detective Sean Suiter 's attorney! Glimpse Steeles motives when she recalls her brothers being racially profiled by police and his ilk to does. To watch in December 2021 film, or maybe Nicole is the director of the film being profiled. Is the soul of the book and TV series made sure it was included a. I feel like the City is based on a book by the Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton I...