COLUMBIA, Md. — The Howard County Police Officers Association is accusing a sitting Councilwoman of putting lives at risk after she allegedly "compromised a child predator investigation," over public statements falsely insinuating that ICE agents were in the area.
On January 21 at 3:49pm Howard County Council Member Liz Walsh posted the following message on Facebook.
"We're hearing that there is an ICE operation happening in Howard County by the Verona Apartments in Oakland Mills, behind the village center. They expect a bus from Thunder Hill Elementary School to be the target. LA Mart and the elementary school have been notified. Please stay safe folks."
According to the Police Association, the information from Walsh was "false."
"That has real consequences: suspects are alerted, evidence is lost, criminals evade identification, and undercover officers face increased danger," said Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 21 President, Jamie Flynn.
In a January 26 letter to Walsh, Flynn made a list of demands, including "removal of the original misleading post," and "an immediate public correction clarifying that the activity was a Howard County Police child-exploitation operation."
Additionally, Flynn demanded that Walsh issue "a formal statement acknowledging [her] support of every single Howard County Police officer who protect [the] community from dangerous criminal predators, who [Walsh] attempted to protest."
As of January 28, Walsh's post remains up on her public Facebook account, with a community note disputing its accuracy.
It should be noted that ICE did make an arrest in Howard County three-days after Walsh's post, near Tamar Drive and Route 175.
