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Crime & Justiceby Mark Reutter8:23 amNov 10, 20210

DPW supervisor who said, “I got something for you” to worried colleague, resigns

Found with a loaded pistol in the Abel Wolman Building after a confrontation with a colleague, Eric Brown faces a court trial next month

Above: Eric Brown at a National Night Out event in August with Councilman Eric Costello, state Sen. Antonio Hayes and state Del. Marlon Amprey. (Facebook)

Eric M. Brown, facing trial for carrying a loaded handgun into a municipal building and threatening another employee, has retired as a senior construction inspector at the Department of Public Works, The Brew has learned.

Brown was arrested on August 31 inside the Abel Wolman Building, across the street from City Hall, after he got into a heated argument.

“You want to be a gangster. I got something for you. Come back to my cubicle,” Brown told the colleague, according to the arrest report.

Police found Brown in his office with a fully loaded SIG Sauer P365 pistol in a holster on his hip. Brown said he had a permit to carry the firearm as a licensed private detective.

The mid-morning incident terrified DPW employees, said a source who asked not to be quoted by name.

“Every day you read about a workplace shooting. . . and here there was a supervisor walking around this building with a loaded gun,” the source said.

Brown was booked on three handgun violations, including carrying a concealed weapon into a city building that bans “projectile weapons.” A gun permit and detective license are not valid in places where firearms are prohibited by law, according to police.

After he was released, Brown returned to his West Baltimore home in a city-owned SUV assigned to his unit.

The vehicle was reclaimed by DPW after a photo of the vehicle parked next to his house was published in The Brew.

Political Player

An active participant in local politics with longstanding ties to former Mayor Sheila Dixon – he gave Dixon $4,950 in her 2020 mayoral attempt – Brown has also contributed to City Council President Nick Mosby, state Senator Antonio Hayes and former Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young.

After the incident, DPW suspended the 64-year-old with pay. He faces a jury trial on December 9 in Baltimore Circuit Court, his attorney, Tony Garcia, confirmed, declining further comment.

DPW did not respond yesterday to queries about Brown’s status in the department.

Brown gained notoriety within DPW in 2016 when, as a project supervisor, he got too close to a sinkhole that had formed on West Mulberry Street.

Falling into the hole, he was rescued by a construction worker and the fire department.

 

UPDATE: After publication of this story, DPW spokesman James E. Bentley II confirmed that “Mr. Brown is no longer employed with the City of Baltimore,” adding, “As always, we do not discuss personnel matters.”

 

DPW supervisor charged with handgun violations at Wolman Building (9/2/21)

Following gun charges, DPW official steps down as community association president (9/3/21)

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