MISCONDUCT CITED IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS TRANSFER

A 15-year D.C. police veteran who was instrumental in the undercover
investigation of Andrew James McGill Jr. - the officer accused of
decade-long involvement in a drug trafficking ring - was transferred out of
the internal affairs unit this week because of a misconduct charge, police
said.

Detective Joseph Twiggs, 37, was moved out of the unit, which polices the
conduct of other officers, and transferred to the 6th Police District on
Monday in what was called a "lateral move" by Executive Assistant Chief
Terrance W. Gainer.

Twiggs was transferred again yesterday, to the 2nd Police District, after
saying he felt uncomfortable in the 6th District and would be more
effective in the 2nd District, Gainer said.

"Given the fact that he had worked against several officers in the
department, he requested 2D," Gainer said. "We wanted to accommodate his
concerns."

Because Twiggs's misconduct was unrelated to the drug investigation, the
case against McGill has not been compromised, Gainer said. "Nothing he has
done ... undermines his integrity," Gainer said.

Gainer also pointed out that the investigation was not conducted solely by
D.C. police. Several federal agencies also were involved, including the
Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the Maryland U.S. attorney's
office. McGill was indicted in the case by a federal grand jury in Greenbelt.

Gainer would not say what the alleged misconduct was and said the matter
was all but resolved with the transfer. Although Twiggs's actions were
substantiated, he was not disciplined, Gainer said. "We know what we know,
and we did what we had to do," Gainer said.

According to court records and law enforcement officials, McGill, 29, was
part of a drug network that trafficked in heroin, cocaine and marijuana for
more than a decade. His involvement allegedly began when he was at the
police academy and evolved over a 10-year career that included a stint as a
narcotics investigator.

Because of the sensitive nature of the investigation, which is continuing,
many of the records in the case are sealed in U.S. District Court in
Greenbelt. McGill was arrested Jan. 6 on federal charges of trafficking
cocaine beginning in 1989.

Twiggs's alleged misconduct was brought to Gainer's attention about two
weeks ago by the director of the office of professional responsibility,
Inspector Dwight Williams. After a preliminary investigation, Gainer
decided to have Twiggs moved.

Twiggs, who had "direct involvement" in the McGill case, will now
investigate violent crimes in the 2nd District, Gainer said. Lt. Joseph
Trippi, who heads violent crime investigations in the 2nd District, said he
had not seen Twiggs yesterday.

"He's [Twiggs] a seasoned investigator who has a very good reputation in
the department," Gainer said.