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Former Pocomoke Police Chief Convicted of Misconduct

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SNOW HILL, Md. (AP) - A former police chief on Maryland's Eastern Shore has been convicted of misconduct in office.

A Worcester County jury convicted former Pocomoke City chief Kelvin Sewell after deliberating for about two hours Wednesday.

Sewell was initially convicted in 2016 following a 2014 hit-and-run incident involving Douglas Matthews, a Maryland correctional officer and fellow local Masonic lodge member. Prosecutors alleged that Sewell and another former officer, also a Mason, conspired to resolve the incident without charging or citing Matthews.

An appeals court overturned Sewell's conviction last year, saying the judge erred in excluding expert testimony Sewell says would have supported his claim that he acted reasonably.

In March, Pocomoke City officials agreed to pay $650,000 to resolve racial discrimination claims made by Sewell and another black officer.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.