We Own This City has finally premiered on HBO Max and should tell the story of the other side of the criminal underworld. The show, based on the non-fiction book of the same name by journalist Justin Fenton, is about corrupt police officers who abuse their power.
The miniseries chronicles the history of the infamous and corrupt Baltimore police force, specifically the Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF), who were involved in various criminal activities and were eventually arrested.
The series will move back and forth, following a non-linear story, bringing to light the criminal activities of Baltimore police officers and how they are eventually imprisoned.
Former Sergeant Wayne Jenkins is one such cop who is famous in Baltimore history, and here’s everything you need to know about him.
Who is Wayne Jenkins from We Own This City?
Wayne Jenkins joined the Baltimore Police Department in 2003 as an officer patrolling the city’s streets. During his time with the department, Jenkins was involved in numerous arrests, all of which resulted in injuries to the people he arrested. Wayne was clearly abusive and used brute force whenever he wanted, exploiting the sanctity of his badge.
Despite numerous complaints, Wayne Jenkins remained a Baltimore police officer and later joined the GTTF in 2007, where he assisted in the search for drugs and firearms. Here too he applied his offensive principles and things quickly deteriorated. He got involved in nefarious activities like planting evidence and accepting bribes in the form of money and even drugs.
Jenkins is central to We Own This City, and the series opens with a scene in which the infamous officer is seen addressing his unit, discussing police brutality and the importance of making an arrest as a cop. The speech itself is very problematic, and it gives viewers an idea of ββthe type of police officers the series will deal with, as well as the direction the story will take.
Why was Wayne Jenkins arrested?
Wayne Jenkins was finally arrested and jailed in 2017 as a result of the efforts of investigators. Because of the wrongdoing of police officers in the Baltimore Division, an investigation was launched targeting abusive police officers who received complaints against them. These GTTF investigations resulted in the arrest of eight officials who were charged with a range of offenses including racketeering, abuse, bribery and harassment of civilians.
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Jenkins was one of eight officers charged in February 2017 with two counts each of conspiracy to commit extortion, extortion, aiding and abetting, robbery and aiding and abetting, and possession of a firearm. However, it did not end there, and he was later charged with additional crimes.
In November 2017, Wayne pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering, two counts of robbery, one count of destroying, altering or falsifying records in a federal investigation and four counts of deprivation of rights. He was subsequently sentenced to 25 years in a federal prison in Kentucky. We Own This City will tell the story of Wayne and how he was arrested for his crimes.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education