A Baltimore Police officer who accused a survivor of domestic violence of lying about the identity of her abuser, and then falsely arrested the father of her children, pleaded guilty on Thursday to misconduct in office.

Officer Mamoudou Diallo, who’s been on the force for almost five years, has agreed to perform 40 hours of community service.

If Diallo completes them before his sentencing on March 23, he could receive probation before judgment, which is not a conviction.

“You set us back about 20 years with that behavior,” Baltimore Circuit Judge Videtta A. Brown told Diallo, adding that his conduct is one reason why survivors of domestic violence do not report crimes.

Assistant State’s Attorney Kimberly Rothwell gave the following account in court:

On May 10, 2024, a woman who was eight months pregnant with twins called 911 and reported that someone had choke-slammed her onto the floor.

Diallo, 33, was acting as the field training officer and responded with about five others to the call. The woman stated she wanted to see a medic but did not wish to speak with police. She told them she did not know who beat her up and asked the police officers to leave.

When Diallo persisted and asked the woman, “Was he white or Black?” she responded, “White.”

Diallo thought she was lying and asked the medic to get him contact information for the father of the twins.

“If she doesn’t say that’s the person who hit her, we can’t get charges against him,” Diallo explained to the other police officers.

He then found the father of the twins, who is Black, in the area and handcuffed him after taking a child from his arms. That’s when the woman showed up at the scene and told police the father was not the person who assaulted her.

Diallo accused the woman of “making things up” and “changing her story.” She then filled out a domestic violence complaint form and identified her brother as the attacker.

The woman explained to a sergeant that she did not name the perpetrator until after police falsely arrested the father of her children.

But Diallo insisted the woman was changing her story. The sergeant did not investigate.

Next, Diallo ordered a trainee with three days of experience to write a statement of probable cause that falsely claimed that the woman had identified her boyfriend as the abuser and that he admitted to the crime.

Prosecutors said he was released within 24 hours.

Police spoke to the woman again the next day after she reported that the real assailant was harassing and threatening her.

Outside the courtroom, Diallo’s attorney, Chaz Ball, did not immediately have a comment about the case.