Cumberland Police Captain charged for allegedly assaulting female officers

MARYLAND (WBFF) — Cumberland Police Captain James Burt has been charged for allegedly assaulting several female officers.

On Feb. 6, Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III announced that a grand jury sitting in Allegany County returned an 11 count criminal indictment against Burt, charging him with six counts of misconduct in office, four counts of second-degree assault and one count of fourth-degree sex offense.

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Burt, who served with the Cumberland Police Department since about 2003 and as its captain since 2021, completed several trainings and courses in leadership, ethics, police misconduct and defense tactics among other topics, according to the charging document.

The document also alleges that Burt “regularly assaulted younger female officers” within the department by applying various pain compliance pressure points to them while they were on the job.

“Pain compliance pressure points target nerve bundles and sensitive areas to cause pain, for the purpose of garnering compliance from a noncompliant suspect, typically during an arrest,” according to the charging document. As an officer, Burt was taught these techniques during defense tactics trainings.

Burt allegedly assaulted three female officers by applying these pressure points to them on several occasions, according to the indictment.

Burt also allegedly assaulted a former Cumberland police officer on at least two different occasions after she left the department and started working for the Allegany County Sheriff’s office. Further, he allegedly approached one of the victims in the department’s stairwell and “kissed her neck in a sensual manner, without her consent,” according to the charging document.

“Supervisors of law enforcement agencies are vested with significant powers to discharge their important duties and lead their departments,” Howard said, via press release. “Our office will continue to investigate and where appropriate prosecute any allegations that a police officer abused those powers by victimizing subordinate members of the very department they were entrusted to lead.”

Read the charging document below: