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Baltimore, State Police Discussing Possible Review Of Sean Suiter Case

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Baltimore Police Department and the Maryland State Police are discussing a possible review of the Sean Suiter case.

Suiter was a police detective with city police when he was killed while in the line of duty. An independent review board determined Suiter's death was a suicide, however, his family told WJZ they believe his death may have been an inside job -- as he was about to testify in a case against other city police officers.

Det. Sean Suiter's Widow Thinks His Death Was An 'Inside Job'; Doesn't Believe Suicide Theory

"There have been preliminary discussions about Maryland State Police and the Baltimore Police Department conducting a joint review of the case. However, Maryland State Police will not be assuming responsibility for the investigation." a state police spokeswoman told WJZ in a statement.

On November 15, 2017, Suiter was investigating a triple murder case in the Harlem Park neighborhood of the city.

Grainy video from that day showed Suiter pacing before darting into an abandoned lot. Police said that's when Suiter got into a violent struggle with a suspect, who then took Suiter's own service weapon and fatally shot him.

But the case has been nothing but controversial since. No suspect was ever identified despite an intense manhunt that included an FBI reward of more than $200,000.

Then news broke that Suiter was set to testify the very next day after he was killed before a federal grand jury investigating corruption within Baltimore's Gun Trace Task Force. Some members of that unit have already pleaded guilty.

Evidence and leads so murky, an independent review board full of policing experts were brought in to shed light on exactly what happened to Suiter in an investigation that seemed to be going nowhere.

That panel said evidence points to a theory some have long believed: the 18-year-veteran took his own life in that alley.

"I gotta say that was bulls***, that went in one ear and out the other," Nicole Suiter said to WJZ in an interview earlier this month.

In a department littered with scandals over the years, Nicole said suicide is "easy and convenient."

"They didn't even interview his family to figure out what state of mind he was in," she said of the suicide finding.

Nearly a year and a half later, the Suiter family is anxiously waiting on Baltimore city police to complete their open investigation. It's a department that's dealt with sweeping changes at the top and one

Nicole claims has not reached out to her.

"Sean deserves better. He gave them 18 years of his life," said his widow.

Commissioner Harrison said he personally met with Suiter's family in recent weeks.<

"I just want justice for my husband—for all of us," Nicole Suiter said.

You can read the Independent Review Board findings here.

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