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Monday, August 19, 2013
Arbitrator Reinstates Fountain Hill Cop Fired For Brutality, Lies
A Fountain Hill police officer fired for roughing up a suspect and then lying about it, has been ordered back on the force. On February 4, Borough Council unanimously terminated Officer Grady Cunningham, Jr., over the police brutality, which Cunningham attempted to cover up. Police Chief Ed Bachert supported the termination as necessary for community trust in his officers. But Cunningham recently prevailed in a union grievance over the matter.
Though successful with an arbitrator, Cunningham has yet to be seen on patrol, fueling speculation that the matter might be appealed. Council members Larry Rapp and Helen Halleman declined comment.
A police video of the incident, published recently on YouTube, shows Officer Grady approach a handcuffed and shoeless Richard McLaughlin from behind, place him in a choke hold, spin him around and then throw him head first to a hard floor. He also appears to be taunting McLaughlin, though there is no audio.
At the time, McLaughlin was being processed for public drunkenness, harassment and disorderly conduct. He later entered a guilty plea to those charges and spent a few days in jail.
In April, McLaughlin sued both Cunningham and Fountain Hill over the incident, alleging that the police brutality is a violation of his civil rights. He is represented by South Whitehall Township Attorney Richard Orloski.
Cunningham has been employed as a full-time officer on Fountain Hill's shrinking force since March 2010. At their August 5 meeting, Borough Council terminated another officer who has been charged with drunk driving.
33 comments:
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I'm against police brutality, but his actions appear to be more in response to McLaughlin being uncooperative with the first officer. Cops are often an aggressive, power-loving bunch of assholes by nature. You have to be to want and do the job.
ReplyDeleteI know you and Orloski are friends, but I don't think he has much of a case with this one. While you write of "taunting," it can't possibly be determined without audio. I see the possibility of the cop telling the drunken idiot to stop kicking the door.
Frankly, there's a whole lot worse on Youtube that shows numerous cops tasing for jollies, using pepper spray for punishment, or simply beating someone senseless with a baton (always yelling, "Stop resisting!), as the victim simply tries to protect his face.
His firing was probably due to the lie. He likely filed a false report of the incident, which got him canned.
McLaughlin had his hands behind his back cuffed. That changes the situation drastically. There was no need to to spin him around risking grave injury with him being helpless to break his fall or protect himself. The Borough would be right to appeal this stupid arbitrator ruling. The Borough would be right to settle this with McLaughlin as soon as possible. If I am on a jury, big award to McLaughlin would be coming his way. These cops don't realize that their thuggish brutal behaivor ends up costing the taxpayer in the long run. They have no right to put the taxpayer on the hook because they were having a bad day. IMHO
ReplyDeletethe perp got what he deserved
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable This cop beat up someone and he gets his job. Someone wrote on your blog last week 40 officers have been recently arrested.
ReplyDeleteAfraid to even travel through Fountain Hill now.
ReplyDeleteListened to about 20 minutes of the gregory show and couldn't take it any more. A complete train wreck! Worst radio show ever! Gregorys mental illness on full display, rambling incoherently with enough ums and uhs to cause a public speaking coach to drop dead in shame. A complete farce technically when guests couldn't get hooked up with mikes and they couldn't set up outside calls. This was a shameful day for Jolly Joe and WGPA.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Grady Cunningham pulled one over on the public but everytime he walks through the local WAWA folks will step aside.
ReplyDeleteA career cop once told me that most cops have mental disorders or are trying desperately not to be cops. The number of people with the tools to be good cops is very small. Cops who rough up the handcuffed and defenseless are the same ones who make up alarmingly high numbers of cop wife beaters. Just as pyromaniacs are drawn to firefighting, so to are unstable lawbreakers drawn to police work. Fountain Hill should be made to pay dearly. It's the only check on a system that easily lends itself to this kind of abuse.
ReplyDelete@ 7:39
ReplyDeleteDamn! I thought it was scheduled for 11:00. If I can't see a good train wreck, I'd like to listen to one.
Most police officers are competent and perform their duties without infringing on the rights of citizens. But like in any field, there are always a few bad apples.
ReplyDeleteIt is very difficult and very expensive to fire a police officer in PA. The union will back up an officer no matter how egregious the offence is or how obviously guilty the offender.
I remember around 20 years ago Upper Mount Bethel Township had a lot of problems with their police force. Their solution was to disband the police force and let the State Police provide coverage.
That may not be a practical solution for a borough of Fountain Hill's size. They could choose to disband their police force and contract with a neighboring municipality.
Kevin, why not sign up with Bethlehem for police protection?
ReplyDeleteIn the early thirties, after the Pine Steet Speakeasy Massacre in Easton, the entirely corrupt city department was fired and Easton was placed under federal law enforcement until a new, clean department was hired. History repeats and repeats. Looks like it could be Fountain Hill's time to disband and star anew with clean cops.
ReplyDeleteContracting police services from Bethlehem would probably be the logical choice if the borough were to disband its police department. West Easton, for example, contracts for police protection from the City of Easton. As far as I can tell, that works out well for West Easton residents.
ReplyDeleteAll but one of them.
ReplyDeleteThe police union needs to get its act together.The public will not stand for these egregious cases not going unpunished with termination.Admitting to a mistake of judgement is one thing but getting caught in an outright lie and coverup is another and destroys the public trust.Same thing holds true with city workers who abuse sick time benefits.If it tales a public referendum so be it.
ReplyDeleteLOL Bernie I just go that,
ReplyDeleteall but one!
Guy, That's what bothers me. It's not so much the brutality, which could be explained. I think the officer went overboard, but I was not there. But why lie about it? And if you do, what else will you lie about?
ReplyDeleteEPD has probably reached it's limit in having to deal with the "all but one" factor in West Easton.
ReplyDeleteFountain Hill has a damn good Chief. This bad cop should go, but it should not tarnish the entire department.
ReplyDeleteEverything I have heard about the chief tells me he is a man of integrity
ReplyDeletePennsylvania has to get a grip on these insane arbitration decisions.
ReplyDeleteAcross the state, arbitrators are giving the unions anything they want.
They side with unions on contract issues and they practically grant immunity for all misconduct.
We have to live with incompetent and sometimes criminal behavior because the arbitrators get more work(high pay) by siding with the unions.
Where can a voter get ahold of the aritrators judgement report on this matter. Yes the police work under contract to the city but work for the public at large.Police work is an honorable profession however the unions should not protect loose canons from proper discipline.
ReplyDeleteGuy, I have filed a RTK for the arbitration ruling, and when i get it, i will post it.
ReplyDeletebig gun little dick/brain, etc, etc, etc
ReplyDeleteNeither the Borough of Fountain Hill nor the police department is doing anything to cover this up. Cunningham was fired, partially because of what is seen in this video and partially because HE tried to cover it up by lying and filing a false report. It was a (so called) "Neutral" arbitrator who ordered this officer to be reinstated. Mr. O'hare, please do everything in your power to obtain and make public that arbitration ruling. I've seen it, it is an outright disgrace to police officers, law, public trust and common sense. Mr. O'Hare, I beg you to post this ruling and share it with as many news agencies as you possibly can.
ReplyDeleteArbitration hearings are handled by Lawyers.If one side has a skilled Lawyer that side usually wins.It seems local Municipalities end up with politically connected types and lose.Who were the Lawyers in this case?
ReplyDeleteSorry, but in most cases the arbitration is done by qualified lawyers on both sides. The unions pick one, the muni picks one and there is a so-called neutral one.
ReplyDeleteProblem is the neutral one often is really pro-union. That is how he/she gets more work.
So the arbitrator says to the world it's okay to be a police officer pledge to honesty and still lie. Great roll model for kids. Wonder what his fellow officers think.
ReplyDeleteI reside in Fountain Hill on the South side of Broadway in the Block of the Former American Legion. My Neighbors where PISSED this Officer got his job back. There are two Officers on the Force GRADY & Officer WOOD that PPL in my Block "HATE" Officer Wood pulled over a Young Woman A Friend of a friend of mine. On Delaware Ave she just got done SERVING a TOUR in IRAG ONLY home 1 week. Officer Wood got her for 7MPH over speed limit / Expired Inspection & Tag's / Tail light's out She Tried to tell Officer WOOD the Situation & she would get her car Inspected light fixed & show it was done & explained she has just gotten home from IRAG. Officer WOOD TOLD her he did not care about that & her car should of been taken care of wile she was DEPLOYED.. My Friend said her fines where in excess of $200.00. Officer WOOD was a complete ASSHOLE to this WOMAN... NOTHING LIKE TELLING THE WOMAN " THANKS FOR SERVING " & JUST GAVE HER A WARNING & LET HER GO ON HER WAY "... I DONT CARE YOU DONT SLAM A PERSON WITH ALL KIDS OF TICKETS TO SOMEONE THAT JUST GOT BACK FROM A WAR TORN COUNTRY....
ReplyDeleteWould your friend be willing to tell me her story? That sounds horrible, and if it is true, Officer Wood should be ashamed of himself.
ReplyDeleteWas the guy hurt? Why wsnt thecop arrested for assault?
ReplyDeleteWood is a strict officer but we need more of them. Ive had dealings with him as I'm in the hill and he is compassionate and professional. He does enforce the law unlike many but at least he doesn't break it like Cunningham. Cunningham should not be allowed back in our town.
ReplyDeleteGrady doesn't deserve his job at all. What he did was wrong on so many levels. Seeing this video made me sick to my stomach knowing that there are cops out there that just don't care. The guy was injured but yet the cop got his job back? How is this fair to this guy or his family in any way? It isn't fair to them at all and they don't deserve to be going through all of this because this cop decided to get out of hand. He wasn't doing his job in any way so he doesn't deserve to have the job he has.
ReplyDelete