Gun Trace Task Force Cop Seeks Prison Release Facing Terminal Cancer

BALTIMORE, MD — One of eight former members of the Baltimore Police Department's corrupt Gun Trace Task Force has asked a federal court to release him from prison, stating he was diagnosed with cancer and has 18 months to live, according to multiple reports.

Daniel Hersl, 53, of Joppa, was convicted in 2018 of racketeering, robbery, extortion and other charges in connection to his work on the task force. Originally sentenced to 18 years in prison, he was slated to be released in 2031, according to his latest court filing obtained by the Baltimore Sun.

In an emergency motion filed Tuesday, Hersl said he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February, the Sun reported. The cancer metastasized to his lymph nodes, liver and lungs, the report said, and a doctor gave him less than 18 months to live.

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Hersl is being held at a federal medical center in Springfield, Missouri, the Baltimore Banner reported. If released, he would live with his family under the supervision of probation officers, reports said.

During his time with the task force, a now-defunct unit within the Baltimore Police Department designed to take guns off the streets, Hersl stole money, property and narcotics by detaining victims, entering their homes, conducting traffic stops and swearing out false search warrant affidavits, according to the Maryland district attorney.

The officers also submitted false reports, including charging documents and property seizure documentation, officials said.

Hersl was known as a brutal member of the force, according to the Sun, who would violently assault or demean people he arrested or interacted with. Hersl broke a woman’s arm, the Sun reported, and poured a beer on another woman before hitting her in the face with a bottle.

Several other members were indicted on federal racketeering charges in March 2017 and pleaded guilty to a conspiracy that involved using their positions as police to rob people and commit overtime fraud.