On February 27, 2026, a publicly held trial board — as reported by the Cecil Whig — found Sheriff Candidate Nick Jaskiewicz guilty of a single administrative charge: Failure to Obey a Lawful Order.

Let us be clear about what this case was — and what it was not.

This case did not involve dishonesty.
It did not involve excessive force.
It did not involve criminal wrongdoing.
It did not involve misconduct toward the public.

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

During that incident, Mr. Jaskiewicz responded as the primary trooper in his designated patrol area. He encountered victims who reported being shot at, confirmed through witnesses that gunfire had occurred, established a perimeter, and requested investigative resources appropriate for an armed incident.

What followed was a breakdown in leadership — not in policing.

Supervisory decisions were made without direct communication with Mr. Jaskiewicz, the officer in command of the scene. Communication is essential to a thorough organized investigation. Investigative resources were canceled. The troopers were ordered to clear the scene by supervisors. Days later, Mr. Jaskiewicz learned that additional investigative steps had been taken the next day. The delay in action could have affected the safety of our citizens and should have been completed that night.

When he documented the full sequence of events in his report, he was ordered to remove information he knew to be factual. He refused to remove it.

When told to rescan documents to align with a supervisor’s preferences after the case had already been handled differently, he refused.

Yes, frustration boiled over. A written note expressing that frustration was unprofessional. Mr. Jaskiewicz has acknowledged that plainly and without excuse.

But the larger issue remains:

The trial board narrowly examined whether a directive was disobeyed. It did not examine the broader pattern of internal concerns Mr. Jaskiewicz had raised. It did not examine whether leadership failures contributed to the conflict. It did not evaluate the culture that discourages officers from challenging questionable decisions.

Mr. Jaskiewicz chose integrity over convenience.

He chose documentation over silence.

He chose accountability over compliance.

That decision came at a cost.

As a candidate for Sheriff, Mr. Jaskiewicz believes Cecil County deserves leadership that does not punish officers for documenting the truth. Law enforcement culture must evolve beyond blind obedience when legitimate concerns are raised in good faith.

This administrative finding will not deter him from standing for transparency, ethical leadership, and accountability at every level of command.

Leadership is not about demanding silence.
It is about earning trust.