PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Administrative charge stems from refusal to alter factual report following 2024 shots-fired incident

CECIL COUNTY, MD — February 28, 2026 — A publicly held trial board on February 27, 2026, as reported by the Cecil Whig, found Sheriff candidate Nick Jaskiewicz guilty of a single administrative charge: Failure to Obey a Lawful Order.

The case did not involve dishonesty, excessive force, criminal wrongdoing, or misconduct toward the public.

The sole sustained charge arose from Mr. Jaskiewicz’s refusal to alter or remove information from an official report following a March 2024 shots-fired incident in Cecil County.

According to testimony and records presented during the proceedings, Mr. Jaskiewicz was the primary trooper assigned to the patrol area and responded to reports from victims who stated they had been shot at. Witnesses at the scene confirmed that gunfire had occurred. Mr. Jaskiewicz established a perimeter and requested investigative resources consistent with responding to an armed incident.

What followed, according to Mr. Jaskiewicz, was not a failure of policing but a failure of leadership.

Supervisory decisions were made without direct communication with the trooper managing the scene. Investigative resources that had been requested were canceled, and troopers were ordered by supervisors to clear the scene. Days later, Mr. Jaskiewicz learned that additional investigative actions were taken the following day.

Mr. Jaskiewicz maintains that delaying investigative steps in a shots-fired incident could impact both evidence collection and the safety of the community.

When he documented the full sequence of events in his official report, he was ordered to remove information he believed to be factual and relevant to the incident. He refused to remove that information.

He was later instructed to rescan documents in a manner that would align with a supervisor’s preferred presentation of the case. He again refused.

During the dispute, Mr. Jaskiewicz wrote a note expressing frustration with the situation. He has acknowledged that the tone of that note was unprofessional.

“I have been clear about that,” Jaskiewicz said. “The note was written in frustration and it should have been handled differently.”

However, he says the larger issue extends beyond that moment.

The trial board’s scope focused narrowly on whether a directive had been disobeyed. The proceedings did not examine broader concerns Mr. Jaskiewicz says he had raised regarding internal leadership decisions, communication failures, or whether organizational culture discourages officers from raising legitimate concerns.

Mr. Jaskiewicz states that his decision ultimately came down to professional integrity.

“I chose integrity over convenience,” Jaskiewicz said. “I chose documentation over silence and accountability over simply complying.”

As a candidate for Sheriff, Jaskiewicz says the experience has reinforced his belief that Cecil County deserves leadership that encourages transparency and ethical decision-making within law enforcement.

“Officers should never feel that documenting the truth will lead to punishment,” he said. “Leadership is not about demanding silence. It’s about earning trust.”

Mr. Jaskiewicz says the administrative finding will not deter his campaign and that he will continue advocating for transparency, accountability, and strong leadership in the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office.

Media Contact

Vincent Sammons
vsammons@VincentSammons.com
610-910-4018
Nick Jaskiewicz for Sheriff