Ryan Watson says his experience mirrors those of other current and former employees who claim they faced retaliation after questioning decisions inside the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office. (BALTIMORE – June 9, 2026) – As Baltimore voters prepare to choose their next Sheriff, another former insider is stepping forward with allegations that raise serious questions about Sheriff Sam Cogen’s leadership. Ryan Watson, a former employee of the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, says his concerns extend far beyond politics. According to Watson, what he witnessed inside the agency reflects a pattern of retaliation, intimidation, and internal dysfunction that has affected multiple employees over the years. “I have the documents, audio, and witnesses to back all of it up,” Watson told BMORENews. “People need to know who he really is.” Watson is not the first person to publicly criticize Cogen’s leadership. His account follows a reported vote of no confidence by deputies, criticism from former employees, and a growing campaign challenge from longtime law enforcement professional Sabrina Tapp-Harper. Now Watson is adding his voice to that conversation. The Fulton Avenue Connection At the center of Watson’s concerns is a fatal shooting that occurred during a warrant operation on North Fulton Avenue in 2008. According to Watson and records he provided to BMORENews, the incident later became the subject of an Internal Affairs reinvestigation after Deputy Juanita Gaines challenged the official account of what occurred. Internal Affairs investigators reportedly identified inconsistencies in witness statements and concluded that required supervisory procedures involving the handling and securing of firearms were not properly followed. The matter remains a source of controversy among current and former members of the Sheriff’s Office. Watson believes the Fulton Avenue case provides an early example of issues that would later resurface throughout Cogen’s career. “These are not rumors,” Watson said. “This is based on what people saw and what was later challenged internally.” BMORENews is continuing to review records related to the Fulton Avenue shooting and will report further findings separately. A Whistleblower Challenges the Narrative Watson points to the experience of former deputy Juanita Gaines as evidence that employees who questioned official accounts often faced consequences. According to Watson and other sources familiar with the matter, Gaines challenged aspects of the department’s handling of the Fulton Avenue incident and later experienced retaliation. She ultimately pursued legal action and prevailed. For critics of the current administration, her case represents more than an employment dispute. They argue it illustrates a culture in which employees who spoke up risked professional consequences. “He Comes After People” Watson says his own experiences reflect that same pattern. After becoming a vocal critic of Cogen, Watson alleges that the Sheriff took actions designed to intimidate or discredit him. Among other claims, Watson alleges that Cogen called 911 while Watson was peacefully distributing campaign literature and later appeared in court in uniform in support of an individual involved in a dispute with Watson. Watson also alleges that political relationships were leveraged against critics of the Sheriff. “I’ve been targeted…