Judge calls police on squeegee workers, says they spit on car and wrote "racist" on windows
BALTIMORE -- Powerful federal judge James K. Bredar, who is overseeing Baltimore's police reforms under the consent decree, called police after an encounter with squeegee workers in Bolton Hill on Sunday.
WJZ obtained the police report. It says Bredar was the passenger while his wife was driving their Toyota near the intersection of Mount Royal Terrace and North Avenue.
That's when two window washers acted "very aggressive" and tried to wash their windows despite them refusing "multiple times," according to the report.
One of them gave the judge his middle finger and spit on his SUV while another wrote "racist" in soap suds on the windows.
WJZ asked drivers who use the intersection regularly to weigh in.
"I'm very curious about the disposition and the sentiment that some of the adults and the drivers are coming to these young people with because when I meet them with grace they meet me the exact same way," Samantha Master said. "I imagine that some of these people are interacting with these young people in very vicious ways, and the squeegee workers are returning that energy. I've never had a bad interaction, and I'm very, very glad to say that."
"When people have their windows up and feel threatened by people just because they're there, then that creates environments where there's tension," Nathan Suberi said.
But others said the city needs to take action.
"I've seen them harass other people which I think is wrong. It should be optional," a driver who did not give his name told WJZ. "I always have a dollar ready for them. . . . They should know the boundaries. But they don't know the boundaries. You give them one, they want two. You give them two, they want four."
Judge Bredar declined to comment. There was no damage to his vehicle.
Police did interview one of the squeegee workers and told him not to squeegee in the area again.
No charges were filed.
Squeegee washers at the intersection did not want to speak about the incident on camera Tuesday, but one of them told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren off camera that the judge took his picture during the dispute.
He said he disagreed with the judge's account in the police report but did not want to say more.
The city has struggled to deal with the squeegee issue and is still working out a plan.
It follows several recent violent encounters, including the death of Timothy Reynolds.
Police said a 15-year-old squeegee worker shot and killed Reynolds after he confronted washers with a baseball bat in July.
Following Bredar's encounter, Baltimore's police union used its social media account to engage with the judge.
"Judge Bredar, why do you travel through that intersection?" the social media post said. "You should go around it like most of us do every day. Glad you and your wife were unhurt. #cityincrisis #600copsshorthttps://twitter.com/MayorBMScott@MayorBMScott"
WJZ's news partner the Baltimore Banner was first to report on the judge's police report.
