The Baltimore County Police Wednesday released video of a June 2024 altercation involving officers and Baltimore County Councilman Todd Crandell. It shows a clearly intoxicated Crandell, with a bottle of vodka, refusing to cooperate with police.

In the video in which Crandell frequently uses profanity, he is sitting at his desk in his Eastpoint Mall office. He is in bare feet. The officers spot a gun in a desk drawer.

You hear officers say, “What’s in there?” “A gun. Got a gun.”

Officers tell Crandell, a Republican who represents the Dundalk area, that he needs to go to the hospital for treatment for his own safety.

“I’m not asking you at this point, I’m telling you,” an officer tells Crandell.

The councilman responds, “Take my gun. You guys got my gun.”

The officers try to stand Crandell up but he sinks to the floor. They have to drag Crandell out of his office. They cuff him as he lies face down outside his office door.

“This is what you guys are going to do to me,” Crandell said. “We’re doing it for you, man,” an officer responded.

“No you’re not,” Crandell said.

The Baltimore Banner first reported the incident July 30.

According to the police report of the incident, the Mobile Crisis Team was concerned about Crandell’s safety and transported him involuntarily to Franklin Square Medical Center for treatment.

Crandell continued to act belligerently at the hospital. At one point he yelled at an officer, “I will shove my Glock up your ass.”

The Banner’s reporting also said Crandell’s wife in May petitioned the Baltimore County District Court in Essex for a protective order. Lisa Crandell told a judge that he was a threat to her and her daughter from a previous marriage. She said Crandell was frequently “blackout drunk” and yelled and screamed at her.

Crandell has spoken publicly about his struggles with alcoholism. He told the Banner in July, “I regret my actions and my behavior. It was entirely alcohol-related.”

He did not respond Wednesday to WYPR’s request for comment.

Crandell has not been charged.

According to the police, a charge in this kind of case is rare.

Through the first seven months of this year, the police department served 1,362 emergency petitions which are used in cases where people may harm others or themselves. Of those, only 31 cases, or 2.3 percent, resulted in criminal charges.

In Crandell’s case last year, police used the emergency petition to take him to the hospital for evaluation.

In a statement Wednesday, County Executive Kathy Klausmeier praised how the police handled the incident, saying “they quickly secured a dangerous weapon and handled the call with professionalism and care.”

Klausmeier also said Crandell and other members of the county council need “to make difficult decisions that are in the best interest of constituents and government operations moving forward.”