Even those sworn to protect and serve can easily transform into agents of terror.

A crooked police chief turned arsonist, David Crawford, 71, has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of multiple felony charges for a string of fires he set targeting homes and property of those he saw as adversaries. When Crawford was arrested in March 2021, this former law enforcement official wielded his position as a shield, allowing him to carry out his arson spree under the radar for nearly a decade.

Crawford was issued eight life sentences plus an additional 75 years in state prison by Circuit Court Judge Richard S. Bernhardt for the series of fires set across various counties in Maryland. While no fatalities resulted from his destructive acts, countless victims, including young children, were thrust into the terror of escaping their homes amidst flames and smoke, losing nearly all of their personal belongings in the process.

State’s Attorney Richard Gibson lauded the sentencing as a fitting end for Crawford’s reign of terror. Despite the severity of the sentence, one must wonder how a law enforcement officer could get away with such blatant criminal activity for so long. Was it the perceived integrity of his badge that delayed suspicion? Or was it an insidious veil of protection offered to one of their own by the law enforcement community? Or both?

In March, a Howard County jury found Crawford guilty on several counts, including attempted first-degree murder, first-degree arson, and first-degree malicious burning. The fires for these charges were set between 2017 and 2018. However, Crawford is still awaiting trial for other counts in Prince George’s County and Montgomery County.

Crawford, throughout his arson spree, did not discriminate in choosing his victims. His targets ranged from former law enforcement officials to chiropractors and even included his own family. It was a 2020 fire that finally led investigators to connect the dots, after discovering that Crawford had previous disagreements with many of the victims.

Before his downfall, Crawford served as the chief of the Laurel Police Department from 2006 to 2010 and worked for other county police departments. During his trial, surveillance videos of Crawford setting fires were revealed, showing a consistent pattern of using gasoline to start the blazes.

The first fire, which was set in Prince George’s County in 2011, showed Crawford accidentally setting himself on fire while torching an unoccupied vehicle—a poetic precursor to his self-immolation through his criminal acts.

The sentencing of Crawford, while representing justice served for his victims, raises questions about the nature of police accountability. His case highlights a profound betrayal of the public’s trust, showing that even those sworn to protect and serve can transform into agents of terror. As Gibson pointedly noted, “This sentence should send a message that prosecutors are capable of holding law enforcement accountable if they violate our laws.” One can only hope this proves true, moving forward.

As the dust settles on this case, Crawford’s attorney has stated plans to appeal the verdict and sentence. For now, at least, the former police chief’s reign of terror has come to an end, and the spotlight turns onto the system that allowed him to commit these crimes unchecked for so long.

Article posted with permission from Matt Agorist