Philly officer caught on video hitting woman to be dismissed
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A police officer seen on video punching a woman at a Philadelphia street party is being suspended for 30 days as of Thursday with the intent to dismiss.
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey took what police called "commissioner's direct action" on Wednesday in the case of Lt. Jonathan Josey following Sunday's events during a festival associated with the city's Puerto Rican Day parade.
Prosecutors earlier said a disorderly conduct charge against the woman was being withdrawn.
The 36-second video uploaded to YouTube and titled "Philadelphia Police Brutality" shows the woman crumpling to the ground after being struck Sunday in north Philadelphia. The woman appears to be bleeding from the mouth as she is led away in handcuffs.
Moments before the woman was hit, the video shows someone else throwing a liquid toward the officers. The woman was also seen spraying something from a can.
The president of the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police says Josey is eager to tell his side of the story to internal investigators.
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey took what police called "commissioner's direct action" on Wednesday in the case of Lt. Jonathan Josey following Sunday's events during a festival associated with the city's Puerto Rican Day parade.
Prosecutors earlier said a disorderly conduct charge against the woman was being withdrawn.
The 36-second video uploaded to YouTube and titled "Philadelphia Police Brutality" shows the woman crumpling to the ground after being struck Sunday in north Philadelphia. The woman appears to be bleeding from the mouth as she is led away in handcuffs.
Moments before the woman was hit, the video shows someone else throwing a liquid toward the officers. The woman was also seen spraying something from a can.
The president of the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police says Josey is eager to tell his side of the story to internal investigators.
Come on guys its not nearly as good a beating as Paul Schene gave that 15 year old brat and yes he was fired but he was not convicted of assault. To me it look way out of line she was not threatening him in any way and he just punches her. Termination seems correct if the department wishes to avoid problems.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaKSFRgK79A
He picked the wrong city to be a police officer.
Should have been in Seattle.
It's not the first time.....they all need more training how to respect CIVIL RIGHTS !
Um...your link doesn't work!Â
yea it does.
Officer punk.... America now knows your true colors..... Friggin' yellow belly sidewinder......
"Moments before the woman was hit, the video shows someone else throwing a liquid toward the officers. The woman was also seen spraying something from a can."
So while she may not have deseved to get punched she surely wan't just an innocent bystander. What was she spaying in at whom? I would hope that these questions are able to be answered before the officer is formally dismissed. I surely am against police brutality, but many times these "videos" only show one side of the story.
 @Surveyor1 Yep, he should have just spit on her...  An eye for an eye.
I agree
@Surveyor1  This video showed the only side of the story that is relevant. Even if she was the one who threw the liquid, a police officer should be professional about detaining a SUSPECT and investigating. Instead he reacted in ANGER and PUNCHED a WOMAN in the face, causing injury. He needs to not only be fired, he should be arrested and charged with assault.Â
He should also be charged with assault. He PUNCHED that woman in the face causing injury (bleeding). The did not try to detain her prior to his assault and his actions were out of anger. If I had done this, you can bet I would have been arrested and charged.
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Then there is the matter of the other cops around this. Why did they not stop this perp after the assault (pretty hard to do before the assault). From the video, I count at least 4 cops who were looking directly at the assault. Why are they not being dismissed also?
 @scared_citizen The other officers present are not being dismissed because they didn't technically take any action that was wrong. Their inaction after witnessing the event was a much less severe breach of the code of ethics we expect police to follow (compared to the officer who punched that woman). If they'd gotten into the fray and helped him, I would support their dismissal, but in this case I don't think they did enough that was wrong or unethical to support dismissing them, and if they were to be dismissed anyway, they'd probably have a pretty good wrongful termination claim against the department.
@spacegoddess  You dont have to reply. Your silence is enough for me to determine that you understand the "thin blue line" where officers cover up for each other.
@spacegoddess  If a police officer WITNESSES a crime (and the ASSAULT on this woman was a crime), the fact that they DIDNT take any action is what they should be dismissed for.
30 day suspension? How about fired and arrested?
 @Cooter_Brown There are a number of jobs out there from which you cannot be immediately fired, and that often includes police. They have to follow a set procedure in order to remove him from his job, which in this case began with "being suspended for 30 days as of Thursday with the intent to dismiss."
@spacegoddess @Cooter_Brown  I want a job like that! Even if they want to fire you, they have to give you a 30 day paid vacation first.Â
 @Cooter_Brown 30 days with intent to dismiss. Read.