WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation today released a new documentary on the devastating soft-on-crime policies that are harming American communities and led to the tragic death of Sheriff’s Deputy First Class Glenn Hilliard in Maryland.
On June 12, 2022, Hilliard was shot and killed by Austin Davidson, a career criminal who had 29 previous interactions with law enforcement, including a conviction for armed robbery in Baltimore City. Hilliard was shot while attempting to arrest Davidson, who was wanted on three outstanding arrest warrants.
Hilliard’s death followed the decision of Baltimore City State Attorney Marilyn Mosby to not send Davidson to prison after his conviction for armed robbery. Mosby, who has a history of pro-criminal policies and sweetheart plea deals, allowed Davidson to get probation before judgment for the armed robbery and walk out of the courtroom, only to commit more crimes.
Hilliard’s widow, Tashica Hilliard, and Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis reflect on the tragic events leading to Hilliard’s death in the Heritage documentary.
“He’s [Glenn] gone because of the prosecution or lack thereof in the case of Austin Davidson. Had they just done their job and had the intentional fortitude to do what is right, our deputy would be here today,” said Lewis, who was first elected Wicomico County sheriff in 2006.
“Our criminal justice system is broken. They would like for you to think that it’s broken because of the disproportionate treatment of minorities, but it’s broken because of the violence in this country. It’s the violence in our cities. There’s zero accountability. … Marilyn Mosby and what happened here in the state of Maryland is not unique. It’s happening across this country with progressive prosecutors. They are eviscerating law enforcement from doing their jobs,” Lewis said.
Tashica Hilliard, mother of three children, responded to Marilyn Mosby’s decision to give her husband’s killer probation before judgement: “I didn’t go to law school, but I would think as a human you would want to look at society as your family. If I’m prosecuting someone society is my family; the community is my family. Do I want my family to get hurt?”
Charles Stimson, a former prosecutor and deputy director for The Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, added that “the murder of Deputy Sheriff Glenn Hilliard was entirely preventable had Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby done her job in the first place. Mosby failed to put the murderer in prison after an armed robbery, and then refused to revoke his probation after he committed three more violent crimes before he shot Hilliard in cold blood. That blood is on Mosby’s hands.”
