We Own This City has finally premiered on HBO Max and is set to tell the story of the other side of the criminal underworld. The show, based on journalist Justin Fenton’s non-fiction book of the same name, tells the story of corrupt police officers who abuse their power.
The miniseries depicts the history of the infamous and corrupt Baltimore Police Department, particularly the Gun Trace Task Force (GTTF), which was involved in a variety of criminal activities and was eventually arrested.
The series will move back and forth, following a non-linear narrative, bringing to light the criminal activities of the Baltimore cops and how they were eventually imprisoned.
Ex-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 a beat cop patrolling the city’s streets. During his time in the department, Jenkins was involved in a number of arrests, all of which resulted in injuries to the people he arrested. Wayne was clearly abusive and used brute force whenever he pleased, taking advantage of 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. He applied his abusive principles here as well, and things quickly deteriorated. He became involved in nefarious activities such as evidence planting and accepting bribes in the form of money and even drugs.
Jenkins is central to We Own This City, and the series begins with a scene in which the infamous officer is seen addressing his unit, discussing police brutality and the importance of making arrests as a cop. The speech itself is highly problematic, and it gives viewers an idea of the type of cops the series will be dealing with, as well as the direction the story will take.
Why Was Wayne Jenkins Arrested?
Wayne Jenkins was finally apprehended and imprisoned in 2017 as a result of the efforts of investigators. Because of the wrongdoings of the cops in the Baltimore Division, an investigation was launched to target abusive cops who had received complaints against them. These investigations into the GTTF resulted in the arrest of eight officers who were charged with a variety of offenses including racketeering, abuse, accepting bribes, and harassing civilians.
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— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) April 25, 2022
Jenkins was one of the eight cops charged in February 2017 with two counts of racketeering conspiracy, racketeering, aiding and abetting, robbery and aiding and abetting, and possession of a firearm. However, this was not the end of it, and he was later charged with additional offenses.
In November 2017, Wayne pled 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. Following that, he was sentenced to 25 years in a federal prison in Kentucky. We Own This City is set to tell the story of Wayne and how he was apprehended for his crimes.
