A judge sentenced Baltimore Police Officer Michael O’Sullivan on Tuesday to 15 months in prison for perjury and misconduct in office.
O’Sullivan, 44, was convicted of the crimes in October and found to have lied in court about a criminal case. He had testified under oath that he saw Yusuf Smith ditch a handgun while running from officers on The Alameda in May 2018. Prosecutors, however, said they checked body camera footage and discovered O’Sullivan couldn’t possibly have seen that.
A grand jury indicted him on charges of misdemeanor perjury and misconduct in May. He was suspended with pay at the time. He remains suspended from the force, a police spokesman said Wednesday. Prosecutors dropped the case against Smith.
Circuit Judge Charles Dorsey sentenced O’Sullivan and allowed him to surrender on Jan. 6 after the holidays, prosecutors said, noting they objected to such a delay.
“Our justice system is hinged upon the integrity of law enforcement and when officers perjure themselves in order to convict innocent people, they must be held accountable,” State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby said in a news release.