SALISBURY, Md. (WBOC) - There has been a lot of criticism over the last two days about why the riots took place in Baltimore on Monday night. The riots started in the afternoon after protests over the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray turned violent in some areas of the city. The situation overwhelmed police as protesters set fire to cars and buildings and raided stores.
Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis just returned from Baltimore after taking a recently acquired bullet-proof armored vehicle to the city. He says he heard over the police radio and from Baltimore City officers the order to retreat.
"They truly are very upset and we heard this from not dozens, but hundreds of police officers that I personally talked to in the last two days while we were up there. We all heard it, from their mouths first hand, how upset they were that they were told not to arrest, that they were told to let them loot, that they were told to allow them to destroy property, that they were told to retreat. And that goes against the grain of every law enforcement officer's body to allow a criminal to flourish in his or her activity. Not to mention all the lives that were put in danger. Those police officers being on the front line, being pelted with large bricks and bottles," said Lewis.
Lewis appeared on the Fox News Channel with Sean Hannity Wednesday night to discuss the issue.
