Easton City Council member Taiba Sultana claimed at Wednesday night's meeting of Easton City Council that she's the only elected official in Easton who cares about the black and brown community. This no doubt came as a shock to City Council VP Kenny Brown, He grew up in the throes of poverty, first in Philly and then in Easton public housing. His brother Carl went down the dark side, committing numerous armed robberies. He was killed by Easton police, who informed young Ken that "we killed your n----r brother." I think it's safe to say Brown cares. He's spent a lifetime proving it. Sultana appears to be using the recent arrest of a well-known black activist to paint all other Easton officials, even those who are black, as racist.
Here's some background. On May 31, Easton activist Lance Wheeler was arrested by Wilson Borough police while in the midst of conducting a donation drive for the victims of a fire on Ferry Street. He allegedly threatened three students while driving a school van for the Wilson Area School District. I spoke with him afterwards, and he told me his arrest was politically retribution by DA Terry Houck (Lance backed Steve Baratta, Terry's opponent) and Easton Mayor Sal Panto (who has no authority to tell his own police department who to arrest, to say nothing of Wilson Borough police). Council member Taiba Sultana was with Wheeler and filmed his arrest, focusing on Easton police officers. "I am outraged," she writes. "This is crazy," she says, as others use vulgar language and claim incorrectly that Wheeler was arrested for helping the community. Wheeler himself is shouting obscenities at DA Terry Houck as he is led away.
I learned from Wheeler himself that he rejected pleas from Wilson police to come in and take care of the arrest. He knew they were coming. He also insisted on being cuffed. After all, it makes the video that much more dramatic. At the time that Sultana was expressing her outrage, she was apparently unaware that what happened was essentially a PR stunt.
Easton police were present for Wheeler's arrest. This is standard protocol when one jurisdiction comes into another to make an arrest. They had nothing to do with the arrest or the underlying charges. Wilson Borough police wanted this wrapped up quickly. Wheeler is a constable and owns multiple firearms. Though it's highly unlikely, they have to consider the possibility of a standoff had they given a person accused of assault and terroristic threats the time to get angry at being charged.
Easton police were upset by Sultana's video. It certainly implies they acted arbitrarily, and they registered their concerns with Easton Mayor Sal Panto and Council member Kenny Brown. They in turn relayed those concerns to Sultana at a committee meeting earlier this month. Unfortunately, there is no video, but the Express Times reported that Sultana became defensive.
That should have been the end of it. Sultana was "outraged" to see someone arrested in the midst of collecting donations. She thinks police should have waited until he was finished for the day. Gee, what if he had been accused of rape or murder? Would she still be "outraged"? Once she learned that Wheeler basically gave Wilson Borough police no choice and insisted on being cuffed, and that Easton police played no role in what had happened, a "Never mind!" was far more appropriate than "I am outraged." Instead of toning down the temperatures a bit, an angry Sultana doubled down at Easton City Council on Wednesday night. (You can see the video here). Here are excerpts:
Sultana: "I have every single right to express how I feel. ... I am a minority, a woman, an immigrant, a Muslim, and I want every race of human being who live in the City of Easton to be treated equally, not marginalized and targeted. ... Any woman who stands behind this podium and asks questions has been intimidated by the male elected officials and it's on record. ... I refuse to accept the status quo and will not allow a group of men to intimidate a woman of color."
...
"They think the black and brown community is criminal and dangerous ... ."
Panto: "I don't understand what you're upset about because what the police chief and I were looking for was an apology. Whether you want to give our Easton police an apology or not, that's up to you. I never wanted to silence your voice. All I was pointing out was that our police department was there because the warrant served by the Wilson Borough Police and the DA's office was there [in Easton]. Mr. Wheeler was given the chance, a phone call, to turn himself in; he chose not to. He was given a chance of not being handcuffed; he chose not to. Our police were there solely because the warrant was being served in the City of Easton. ... You put them on the video, not the Wilson police. "
Brown: "As an African American person, I cannot allow myself to look on just one side of the fence. ... Whenever you're in the position that we're in, we've got to be very careful about the things that we do, and the things we say in public because, more times than not, that information that we're disseminating outward can be looked upon in a bad way. And no, I don't think Council woman meant to do it in a bad way, but I believe we need to take a step back and let the process work. That's what I was trying to say."
Sultana went on to insist that she receive a public apology from Panto. "You all ganged up on me," she complained. "You ganged up on 63 police officers," responded Panto. Brown declinedto apologize, saying that he was just trying to share what he's learned after 36 years of public service. He noted Sultana's Facebook post resulted in people accusing him and Panto of ordering Wheeler's arrest.
Brown: "You don't know my story. You don't know where I came from. You don't know I lived in the worst project in the United States of America, in North Philadelphia. You don't know that I was drawn into a gang and got transferred out of Philadelphia to come up here. You don't know my story. You only know where you came in at. I fight hard for this city. I fight hard to represent my family. my friends and my community because of one thing - I made a solemn promise to my brother on his death bed that I would never, ever, ever give up and that I would fight to change our name to the good. I think I've done that. I carry that on my sleeve and I would never allow anyone to tell me I don't fight for anyone. I don't care if you're white, black, yellow. It has nothing to do with it."
Ironically, the meeting ended when a black woman named Jackie - one of the very people Sultana claims to champion - told Sultana that she was at the courthouse on the day Wheeler was arrested and learned there was a warrant for him. She advised Wheeler of the warrant, and she claims he told her he wanted to be arrested.
45 comments:
The whole thing sounds like a bunch of lunatic hooey. Can we over here in the northwest secede and join Lehigh County, please?
Lance is a great man. Seems he made a poor decision and now it’s really snowballing into a racial issue which is an argument that doesn’t hold water.
Good luck on your day in court Lance. Hopefully the truth comes out. Continue to be know for you good works. Skip the publicity stunts.
Holy Crap! Easton city council has their own Tara irinski. Batshit crazy self-appointed social warriors and professional victims. Was told Zirisnki has preached that she is protecting the brown people and other minorities. The republicans may have maga gangs but the democrats have these Loonies with messiah complexes.
Thank goodness Easton is stuck with her and not Allentown. If she says "marginalized" one more time, I'm going to scream.
I may have missed something, but out of jurisdiction custody arrest are sometimes suspect themselves. Was it not the district attorney’s office of Northampton County that accepted the warrant?
"I'm a minority, a woman, an immigrant, and a Muslim". Get your bingo cards out.
This lady is nothing more than an attention seeker. She has done nothing for the city. I wouldnt be surprised if her and wheeler had this planned, as they both seek attention. Hopefully, residents see her for what she is. Her and her family just want to live off of the taxpayers. Thats why her and her huaband run for everything, but contribute nothing
She obviously passed Race Card 101 and How to Make a Fool of Yourself 202.
A lot to unpack here. Granted, Lamce should have turned himself in. He could have arranged the surrender. Nonetheless, you state that, as he is being cuffed, he is seen on the video shouting obscenities at Terry Houck. Was Houck there? For a Misdemeanor warrant being served? Let’s see if he gets ARD, like the white lunatic Panto Administration official who essentially stalked two kids to put manners on them with Terroristic Threats …. What a fucked up county.
Does her husband plan on collecting his campaign signs? He's the only candidate whose signs still abound. At this point, they are litter.
As for her, yeah, she's got some wiring that's not grounded correctly.
Sound like she is the racist.
I watched the entire exchange, including the African American person who addressed the council and basically said she was out of line. She’s wrong and will not admit it. I thought Mr Brown and Sal Panto were more than patient with her nonsense, and that’s what it is, nonsense! The city should be grateful they have people like Mr Brown, Sultana should listen to some of the “wisdom” he was trying to provide to her.
Under Sultana’s philosophy, if you have a warrant for your arrest and you’re working a clothing drive or a charitable event, then you get a free pass I guess. The woman is deranged.
Bernie
Was this lady "outraged" when Hopkins was arrested immediately for his actions against children? You wrote about councilman Milan trying to have the cheif fix parking tickets. Word is Sultana tried to get the head of Codes to erase her Numerous code violations at her home. This woman is HORRIBLE.
8:26, That's what really bothers me. He's presumed innocent, of course, but the simple reality is that he's been charged with criminal activity. For all Sultana knew, it could have been rape or murder. You don't give someone a free pass bc he is doing a donation drive.
8:02 great comment. It is litter, i see Green signs in Southside as well. It is disrespectful
Houck could have been there supporting the victims of the fire. Not because of Wheeler. Or maybe Wheeler was screaming about Houck even though he wasn’t there. Regardless, the guy was given the courtesy to turn himself in and he refused. He created this fiasco.
"I may have missed something, but out of jurisdiction custody arrest are sometimes suspect themselves. Was it not the district attorney’s office of Northampton County that accepted the warrant?"
The arresting agency was not the DA's office, but Wilson Borough Police Officer Whitney Peterson. An out-of-jurisdiction arrest is specifically authorized by state statute when executing a search warrant so long as the police in the municipality where the arrest occurs are aware of and consent to the arrest. That is precisely what happened here. https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/LI/consCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&ttl=42&div=0&chpt=89&sctn=53&subsctn=0
" Can we over here in the northwest secede and join Lehigh County, please?" - Then you'd be dealing with Allentown and a movement with several Taibanas who want to send social workers to 9-1-1 calls. Good luck with that, but I'm sure we Democrats would be happy to see you join Lehigh, lol.
As retired LEO I can tell you that once he refused to turn himself in the game changed. His status as a Constable with access to firearms was surely discussed. You never know what someone is going to do. They grabbed him quickly and painlessly and did their job correctly despite the crazy activist lady trying to make it something it wasn’t.
"Was this lady "outraged" when Hopkins was arrested immediately for his actions against children? You wrote about councilman Milan trying to have the cheif fix parking tickets. Word is Sultana tried to get the head of Codes to erase her Numerous code violations at her home. This woman is HORRIBLE."
I have no information that Sultana tried to have her code violations erased. What is the basis for this accusation? You say "word is." From whom did you hear this word? If this is so, she abused the authority of her office. But yu should not make this kind of accusation lightly, ok?
". Nonetheless, you state that, as he is being cuffed, he is seen on the video shouting obscenities at Terry Houck. Was Houck there? For a Misdemeanor warrant being served? Let’s see if he gets ARD, like the white lunatic Panto Administration official who essentially stalked two kids to put manners on them with Terroristic Threats …. What a fucked up county."
Terry Houck was not there for the arrest. He is a prosecutor and, as such, must avoid situations in which he can become a witness. Lance was hurling obscenities at Houck because, like many criminal defendants, he blames others for his own conduct. It's the same witch hunt defense being employed by Donald Trump.
Based on the accusations, and unless another shoe is about to drop, it would appear that Wheeler would be eligible for ARD.
"As retired LEO I can tell you that once he refused to turn himself in the game changed. His status as a Constable with access to firearms was surely discussed. You never know what someone is going to do. They grabbed him quickly and painlessly and did their job correctly despite the crazy activist lady trying to make it something it wasn’t."
Police had every right to act as quickly as they did. Wheeler is a constable, is known to police, and they are aware he possesses numerous firearms. While it is highly unlikely that he would do anything, it is best to take into custody and process him quickly. Police acted professionally and with restraint. This was a situation that could have quickly escalated into a riot, thanks in part to the behavior of others at the scene, who were uninformed and mistakenly believed that the behavior was "outrageous" and "crazy." Police were right to be concerned that Sultana's conduct, as a public official, was escalatory. That is the real point that Kenny Brown and Sal Panto were trying to make with her, and she misconstrued what they said as an attempt at intimidation. There was nothing wrong with her publishing a video of the event, but it only showed portions of what had happened and was misconstrued by many people as an act of political retaliation.
The last exchange when she doubles down and says that she is the only person who does anything for the black and brown community should enrage every single person on city council and every person who voted for them.
In the end, this is all video clips for future higher office run/, but in the meantime the residents and other council members are the ones who have to suffer with her ignorant, woe is me race baiting tactics.
She owes every person an apology, followed by an immediate resignation.
But that will never happen, she needs this stepping stone (we the residents are the stepping stone) for higher office.
Taiba Sultana should be ashamed of herself for playing victim and for also being annoying.
Minorities should be pissed! What has she done to help them? Be outraged when a person facing charges and refused to turm himself in gets arrested???? Oconnell has done more for minorities in Easton than sultana.
Taiba Sultana is correct. No doubt she seems to be the only one who cares about the marginalized community. Brown is Sal’s puppet.
After listening to her speak about what happened at the last meeting, hell, her response was legit.
They don’t care about their own property why would either care about public property
Do you need help moving?
Easton has one of the most liberal, leftist city governments you could possibly think of.
That this Sultana lady is left of them is exceptionally disturbing.
This must be Tiaba because she is the only one that thinks she right
"Easton has one of the most liberal, leftist city governments you could possibly think of."
That's absolutely ridiculous. Easton is by far the most centrist of the LV's three cities.
I think Easton is lucky to have a man like Ken Brown on council. I don't know him, but I watched the video of the council meeting. I thought he was patient, and his remarks were fair. What he was trying to teach her is that as an elected official, regardless of who did or didn't vote for you, you now represent EVERYONE. As an elected official you have to be careful about what you post on social media. You can't just make reactionary remarks without getting all the facts. It's not always about advancing your radical agent Ms. Sultana.
No doubt about that.
Drama Queen.
Easton deserves what it votes for.
So Kenny Brown doesn’t care about minorities?
There’s zero way any human with a functioning brain stem could ever come to that ridiculous assertion.
Wow, replace Sultana’s name with Gerlach in this story and no one would bat an eye. She’ll be standing at the town square yelling “F the police” in no time. Looks like Easton found its CeCe. Congrats.
Isn’t the whole council living off of the taxpayers? Panto has been eating alive people of Easton for the last three decades. Ken Brown is an elected official and works for the county which is unethical. You all have been fooling yourself.
I bet, this comment is from one of the city officials.
Yeah you're right. Allentown is just as bad with its lefty loonies, who now have nothing better to do than mess around with the 7th and Hamilton intersection. 🤪
"Isn’t the whole council living off of the taxpayers? Panto has been eating alive people of Easton for the last three decades. Ken Brown is an elected official and works for the county which is unethical. You all have been fooling yourself."
I'm not sure what this has to do with wacky racist Sultana. But every word is verifiably true. They have largely been wards of taxpayers for most of their adult lives. That ongoing grift is the fault of the voters who continue to elect them and pay them. Doesn't make them attention-starved racists, though.
Kenny Brown! Has a “hall walking job “ as “court services “ he knows nothing about the court and could pass a Sheriff Deputy test . He’s an imposter.
A referendums should appear that says all council and mayor positions should be suspended every 3 rd year , meaning they can’t run 3 times in a row. That way there is clearance form each session . If the voters want somebody back after session has run ,then ok.
"Kenny Brown! Has a “hall walking job “ as “court services “ he knows nothing about the court and could pass a Sheriff Deputy test . He’s an imposter."
Unlike you, Kenny Brown is a dedicated man who takes his county job seriously and cares about doing it properly. He cares about people. He's no imposter.
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