At least 150 police officers raided a drug-ridden public housing complex in West Baltimore today, targeting more than two dozen suspects accused of supplying residents and others with heroin and cocaine.
The raids at 27 apartments in three high-rise buildings at the George B. Murphy Homes, and several other low-rise buildings nearby, follow the arrests last week of five people charged as major drug suppliers to the project.
Among those arrested last Saturday was a maintenance worker for the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, who police said may have used his position to hide heroin in various places at Murphy Homes.
Today's raids began at 7 a.m., as city and housing police officers swept through the buildings, hitting apartments scattered throughout the towers from the second to 12th floors. They were searching for 27 suspects charged in drug warrants. As of 10 a.m., 17 -- including three juveniles -- had been arrested. None arrested today has been identified.
"This is the second phase," said Maj. Leonard Hamm, commander of the Central District. "Last Saturday, we got the suppliers. Now, we are dealing with the stash houses and the distribution houses."
Major Hamm described the Murphy Homes area, in the 1000 block of Argyle Ave and the 700 and 800 blocks of George St., as dangerous to residents and police.
"It was an open-air drug market emanating from those projects," the police commander said. "It was causing problems for the community and for my troops. Bottles were thrown at patrol cars."
L Police said they seized $75,000 worth of cocaine and heroin.
In last Saturday's raids, police hit two houses, one in the 2800 block of Walbrook Ave., and another in the 700 block of N. Augusta Ave., in Edmondson Village, and seized four cars, two fully loaded 9mm semiautomatic machine pistols and thousands dollars in cash.
Police said they also seized 3 ounces of pure heroin last Saturday that, when diluted and sold on the street, would be enough to supply 2,000 people with one dose each.
The arrested housing authority employee was identified as Jerome Witherspoon, 43, who lives in the 2800 block of Walbrook Ave., in one of the raided houses. He was charged with possession of cocaine and pos session of a handgun for use in drug trafficking.
Zack Germroth, a spokesman for the housing agency, said Mr. Witherspoon worked in the maintenance department and that his duties included work at Murphy Homes. He said Mr. Witherspoon would be suspended pending the outcome of the case.
Last week, police said a drug organization was responsible for several shootings and homicides this year in the area around Murphy Homes.
But police said Monday's stabbing death of John Dantzler, 69, ZTC who lived on the ninth floor of one of the Murphy Homes high-rises, was unrelated to the drug sales. Investigators have .. termed the motive in his slaying as robbery.
Major Hamm said today's raids were "right on the money. The neighbors were saying, 'Glad to see you.' They were shaking their heads, 'Yep, that's the right apartment. You got the right ones.' "