Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 – by Beau Berman
NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — Two Westmoreland County police officers are on leave from their departments after being seen hitting a handcuffed suspect in a Facebook video.
The Westmoreland County district attorney’s office is now investigating.
One officer is from the New Kensington Police Department and the other is from the Arnold Police Department. Neither has been publicly identified. New Kensington Police Chief James Klein held a brief news conference Friday night.
“It’s disturbing. We’re not going to condone any misconduct that is done,” Klein said.
The video, shared Friday and already seen by more than 20,000 people, shows an officer punching a suspect who is on the ground. After the man appears to be handcuffed, another officer stands on top of his back while the suspect remains on the ground. The suspect, identified as Justin Harvey, is then walked to the police car with an officer guiding him in a chokehold. Harvey is they elbowed in the head by an officer. He shouts something at the officer while being placed in the car.
“We are going to be as transparent as possible. We will be above-board as much as possible,” said Klein.
Harvey is charged with receiving stolen property, disarming a law enforcement officer, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, resisting arrest and reckless driving.
According to the criminal complaint, officers chased Harvey and found a gun and drugs on him. The complaint says Harvey resisted arrest.
Several family members gathered outside the New Kensington police department after 4 p.m. and called the actions on the video “police brutality.”
Harvey’s attorney, Todd Hollis, said the arraignment was done in private before he arrived.
District Judge Frank Pallone told Hollis and the media that he held the arraignment in private because he feared for his safety because of the crowd gathered outside. Hollis told Pallone the crowd was Harvey’s family and Pallone said he didn’t know who they were.
Hollis later told the media during a press conference at the police department that New Kensington police would not let him meet privately with Harvey, his client.
“It’s disheartening because you want to build trust with the community but when you look at videos like that, how can you suggest that? One officer standing on the back of this young man, another officer punching him, another officer jumping off his back, all while this young man is handcuffed,” said Hollis.
Harvey has a history of prior arrests. Pallone set his bond at $75,000. A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 2.
Harvey was taken out of the police department on a stretcher after 6:45 p.m. as his family members gathered in prayer.
“It was just disturbing. The action of the cops after he’s in cuffs is very disturbing. I thought the New Ken police were better than that,” said Harvey’s cousin, Jerris Price.
http://www.wtae.com/article/facebook-video-shows-police-punching-suspect-in-new-kensington/8623534
As I’ve often said, police brutality and murder, is becoming a daily event. I think this change, from community policing to police anarchy, began in the 70’s and has gotten worse with each decade. Chiefs of Police, prosecutors and courts, are too soft on police crime. Until they change and start giving hard time to these scum sucking swine, nothing will change.
“It’s disturbing. We’re not going to condone any misconduct that is done,” Klein said.”
As long as there’s video of it, anyway.
“The action of the cops after he’s in cuffs is very disturbing. I thought the New Ken police were better than that,”
You’ve been ‘PROGRAMMED’ to think like that.
You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, clueless. Wait till FULL REALITY kicks in.
Now go back to your ‘regularly scheduled programming’.