A'town City Council Wants "Make the Road" to Hit the Road

Officer Lebron with meLVin,shortly before giving
him a dynamic push.  

Over the weekend, a Facebook video appeared to show Allentown's finest doing a number on Filmore Street resident John Perez. The force started with a shove by an officer. It's no ordinary shove. A friend in the biz tells me it's actually a martial arts move called the dynamic push. It worked. Perez, a slight man, went flying on his ass.

Was this force necessary? I have no idea. There is no audio so it's hard to say. Perez definitely got up and approached the officer who had knocked him down. The officer believed he was being charged although, by that time, another officer had his arms around Perez.

Police are reviewing whether the force used was appropriate. Unlike the Facebook video, their body cams will include video and audio.

Jose Lebron is the officer who shoved and ultimately charged Perez with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. I am unable to say whether Officer Lebron used more force than needed, or whether any force was needed at all. Whether wrong or right, it is hard to make the case that Perez is a victim of ethnic intimidation when the arresting officer appears to be a Latino himself.

I'm in no position to condemn or exonerate the officer. But Make the Road Pa is. It bills itself as an organization "in the fight for immigrant justice here in Pennsylvania." Last night, this group conducted a rally for Perez and then cascaded into a City Hall, where City Council was meeting on just about everything else.

I counted 17 people in the audience, but have no idea how many were there to address the alleged assault.

City Council did its best to make sure that Make the Road would hit the road.

Members were denied the opportunity to speak during a "special meeting" as well as a committee meeting that followed.

Council President Roger MacLean, who seemed irritable all night, did agree to give this group a grand total of 10 minutes to be heard. Two people spoke, and one of them is the person who shot the video.

To them, this is obvious police brutality. To me, it's unclear.

I do know this much. When MacLean refused to let them speak during the actual meeting, and then limited the group to ten minutes, he made clear that he's made up his mind, too. He's not there as police chief, and has an obligation to listen.

(Blogger's note: This story is based on a video of last night's multiple meetings. I stayed in my bunker.)

Manslaughter Charge Suggests Officers Need Better Training

Freemansburg Police prepare ID cards for area kids

Last night, communities throughout the country celebrated National Night Out (NNO). It's a time for first responders and the citizens they serve to come together. Police make ID cards for kids so that if they ever get lost, mom or dad can give officers something that gives them an idea what the child looks like and some other physical characteristic, like height. Firefighters are also a big hit, as they demonstrate how they put out fires. In communities like Freemansburg, it's an opportunity to get fed, too. Borough Council members drop their gavels for spatulas,and turn out dogs and burgers with food supplied by area grocers. Yesterday, NNO coincided with a day in which Lehigh County DA Jim Martin filed manslaughter charges against South Whitehall Township police officer Jonathan Roselle. Their National Night Out had been postponed as a result of flooding, and that's probably a good thing.

After Martin's announcement, I spoke with a career prosecutor who told me she knows of no other profession in which momentary bad judgment in a crisis situation can lead to homicide charges. But my concern all along is that the officer had available to him other means to subdue the man he killed. He had a baton, taser and mace. According to the statutory definition,

"(a) General rule.--A person who kills an individual without lawful justification commits voluntary manslaughter if at the time of the killing he is acting under a sudden and intense passion resulting from serious provocation by:

(1) the individual killed; or

(2) another whom the actor endeavors to kill, but he negligently or accidentally causes the death of the individual killed.

(b) Unreasonable belief killing justifiable.--A person who intentionally or knowingly kills an individual commits voluntary manslaughter if at the time of the killing he believes the circumstances to be such that, if they existed, would justify the killing under Chapter 5 of this title (relating to general principles of justification), but his belief is unreasonable."

The officer felt at that one moment that he needed to use deadly force, but Martin's investigation concluded that belief was unreasonable.

Should Officer Roselle choose to go to trial, that will be a question for the jury. I personally believed he could have used less lethal means or waited for back up.

One officer told me last night that what happened underscores the need for better training. He said interactive training simulator shelp officers recognize when deadly force is warranted, and told me he believes the Allentown Police Academy has one of these.

I also spoke to a retired police officer -a big guy - with 30 years of experience. He said you never know how you're going to react until you're in a real situation.

It's an unfortunate situation for all involved. Lehigh County DA Jim Martin was unfairly attacked in the middle of an investigation. A police officer will never work in that capacity again,regardless of the outcome of the criminal case. Some feel that there was latent bias in the officer's decision to pull the trigger. Others are using what happened as an opportunity to express their bias while solemnly denying it. But the biggest loss is for Santos' children. They will grow up without a father.

Dorney Park Shooting: Too Soon To Condemn Officer

On Saturday, a South Whitehall Township police officer shot and killed Joseph Santos, an apparently unarmed Hispanic man who was acting erratically and damaging cars near Dorney Park. He even hung on to one car as it drove away and ignored police commands to get on the ground. A protest is being planned for tonight, 5:30 pm, at Lincoln Avenue and Hamilton Boulevard. People are angry that a police officer may have rushed to judgment, but aren't they doing the same thing?

In the video above, I'm unable to determine where the officer is located. Santos can first be seen be seen standing alongside the front passenger side of a police vehicle. Then he starts walking to the rear of the cruiser to pull briefly at something, perhaps a windshield wiper. He then continues walking away and is actually out of view when someone, probably the officer, commands, "Get on the ground, right now!" Santos can then be seen approaching the officer, who repeats his command several times as Santos continues to approach him and appears to raise his arm and shout something. While Santos is about three or four feet away from the cruiser, the officer opens fire and I count five shots. There was no attempt to use less lethal means to subdue Santos with a taser, mace or baton.

If the officer believed that Santos posed a serious threat of harm to him, he is authorized to use deadly force. Santos appeared to be either mentally ill or under the influence of some form of a hallucinogenic drug like PCP that seems to imbue users with superhuman strength. In these situations, repeated tasers, pepper spray and batons are often ineffective.

I find the whole situation very troubling. The officer's use of deadly force may have been justified. Or it may have been criminal homicide. But rather than protest police brutality that may be nonexistent, why not wait until the facts are in? An independent investigation is being conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police, and their findings will be reviewed by Lehigh county DA Jim Martin. In the meantime, a vigil in memory of Santos' life is commendable. A lynch mob is not. Unfortunately, we will have the latter, and from groups that have a political, and not a justice, agenda.

Black Police Officer "I am Now More Likely to Die"

Jay Stalien, a police officer at Palm Beach County in Florida and a former Baltimore cop, writes eloquently and from his heart on the tragedy of black lives lost, not to cops, but to other blacks.

I have come to realize something that is still hard for me to understand to this day. The following may be a shock to some coming from an African American, but the mere fact that it may be shocking to some is prima facie evidence of the sad state of affairs that we are in as Humans.

I used to be so torn inside growing up. Here I am, a young African-American born and raised in Brooklyn, NY wanting to be a cop. I watched and lived through the crime that took place in the hood. My own black people killing others over nothing. Crack heads and heroin addicts lined the lobby of my building as I shuffled around them to make my way to our 1 bedroom apartment with 6 of us living inside. I used to be woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of gun fire, only to look outside and see that it was 2 African Americans shooting at each other.

It never sat right with me. I wanted to help my community and stop watching the blood of African Americans spilled on the street at the hands of a fellow black man. I became a cop because black lives in my community, along with ALL lives, mattered to me, and wanted to help stop the bloodshed.

As time went by in my law enforcement career, I quickly began to realize something. I remember the countless times I stood 2 inches from a young black man, around my age, laying on his back, gasping for air as blood filled his lungs. I remember them bleeding profusely with the unforgettable smell of deoxygenated dark red blood in the air, as it leaked from the bullet holes in his body on to the hot sidewalk on a summer day. I remember the countless family members who attacked me, spit on me, cursed me out, as I put up crime scene tape to cordon off the crime scene, yelling and screaming out of pain and anger at the sight of their loved ones taking their last breath. I never took it personally, I knew they were hurting. I remember the countless times I had to order new uniforms, because the ones I had on, were bloody from the blood of another black victim…of black on black crime. I remember the countless times I got back in my patrol car, distraught after having watched another black male die in front me, having to start my preliminary report something like this:

Suspect- Black/ Male, Victim-Black /Male.

I remember the countless times I canvassed the area afterwards, and asked everyone “did you see who did it”, and the popular response from the very same family members was always, “Fuck the Police, I aint no snitch, Im gonna take care of this myself." This happened every single time, every single homicide, black on black, and then my realization became clearer.

I woke up every morning, put my freshly pressed uniform on, shined my badge, functioned checked my weapon, kissed my wife and kid, and waited for my wife to say the same thing she always does before I leave, “Make sure you come back home to us”. I always replied, “I will”, but the truth was I was never sure if I would. I almost lost my life on this job, and every call, every stop, every moment that I had this uniform on, was another possibility for me to almost lose my life again. I was a target in the very community I swore to protect, the very community I wanted to help. As a matter of fact, they hated my very presence. They called me “Uncle Tom”, and “wanna be white boy”, and I couldn’t understand why. My own fellow black men and women attacking me, wishing for my death, wishing for the death of my family. I was so confused, so torn, I couldn’t understand why my own black people would turn against me, when every time they called …I was there. Every time someone died….I was there. Every time they were going through one of the worst moments in their lives…I was there. So why was I the enemy? I dove deep into that question…Why was I the enemy? Then my realization became clearer.

I spoke to members of the community and listened to some of the complaints as to why they hated cops. I then did research on the facts. I also presented facts to these members of the community, and listened to their complaints in response. This is what I learned:

Complaint: Police always targeting us, they always messing with the black man.

Fact: A city where the majority of citizens are black (Baltimore for example) …will ALWAYS have a higher rate of black people getting arrested, it will ALWAYS have a higher rate of blacks getting stopped, and will ALWAYS have a higher rate of blacks getting killed, and the reason why is because a city with those characteristics will ALWAYS have a higher rate of blacks committing crime. The statistics will follow the same trend for Asians if you go to China, for Hispanics if you go to Puerto Rico, for whites if you go to Russia, and the list goes on. It’s called Demographics

Complaint: More black people get arrested than white boys.

Fact: Black People commit a grossly disproportionate amount of crime. Data from the FBI shows that Nationwide, Blacks committed 5,173 homicides in 2014, whites committed 4,367. Chicago’s death toll is almost equal to that of both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, combined. Chicago’s death toll from 2001–November, 26 2015 stands at 7,401. The combined total deaths during Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2015: 4,815) and Operation Enduring Freedom/Afghanistan (2001-2015: 3,506), total 8,321.

Complaint: Blacks are the only ones getting killed by police, or they are killed more.

Fact: As of July 2016, the breakdown of the number of US Citizens killed by Police this year is, 238 White people killed, 123 Black people killed, 79 Hispanics, 69 other/or unknown race.

Fact: Black people kill more other blacks than Police do, and there are only protest and outrage when a cop kills a black man. University of Toledo criminologist Dr. Richard R. Johnson examined the latest crime data from the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports and Centers for Disease Control and found that an average of 4,472 black men were killed by other black men annually between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2012. Professor Johnson’s research further concluded that 112 black men died from both justified and unjustified police-involved killings annually during this same period.

Complaint: Well we already doing a good job of killing ourselves, we don’t need the Police to do it. Besides they should know better.

The more I listened, the more I realized. The more I researched, the more I realized. I would ask questions, and would only get emotional responses & inferences based on no facts at all. The more killing I saw, the more tragedy, the more savagery, the more violence, the more loss of life of a black man at the hands of another black man….the more I realized.

I haven’t slept well in the past few nights. Heartbreak weighs me down, rage flows through my veins, and tears fills my eyes. I watched my fellow officers assassinated on live television, and the images of them laying on the ground are seared into my brain forever. I couldn’t help but wonder if it had been me, a black man, a black cop, on TV, assassinated, laying on the ground dead,..would my friends and family still think black lives mattered? Would my life have mattered? Would they make t-shirts in remembrance of me? Would they go on tv and protest violence? Would they even make a Facebook post, or share a post in reference to my death?

All of my realizations came to this conclusion. Black Lives do not matter to most black people. Only the lives that make the national news matter to them. Only the lives that are taken at the hands of cops or white people, matter. The other thousands of lives lost, the other black souls that I along with every cop, have seen taken at the hands of other blacks, do not matter. Their deaths are unnoticed, accepted as the “norm”, and swept underneath the rug by the very people who claim and post “black lives matter”. I realized that this country is full of ignorance, where an educated individual will watch the ratings-driven news media, and watch a couple YouTube video clips, and then come to the conclusion that they have all the knowledge they need to have in order to know what it feels like to have a bullet proof vest as part of your office equipment, “Stay Alive” as part of your daily to do list, and having insurance for your health insurance because of the high rate of death in your profession. They watch a couple videos and then they magically know in 2 minutes 35 seconds, how you are supposed to handle a violent encounter, which took you 6 months of Academy training, 2 – 3 months of field training, and countless years of blood, sweat, tears and broken bones experiencing violent encounters and fine tuning your execution of the Use of Force Continuum. I realized that there are even cops, COPS, duly sworn law enforcement officers, who are supposed to be decent investigators, who will publicly go on the media and call other white cops racist and KKK, based on a video clip that they watched thousands of miles away, which was filmed after the fact, based on a case where the details aren’t even known yet and the investigation hasn’t even begun. I realized that most in the African American community refuse to look at solving the bigger problem that I see and deal with every day, which is black on black crime taking hundreds of innocent black lives each year, and instead focus on the 9 questionable deaths of black men, where some were in the act of committing crimes. I realized that they value the life of a Sex Offender and Convicted Felon, [who was in the act of committing multiple felonies: felon in possession of a firearm-FELONY, brandishing and threatening a homeless man with a gun-Aggravated Assault in Florida: FELONY, who resisted officers who first tried to taze him, and WAS NOT RESTRAINED, who can be clearly seen in one of the videos raising his right shoulder, then shooting it down towards the right side of his body exactly where the firearm was located and recovered] more than the lives of the innocent cops who were assassinated in Dallas protecting the very people that hated them the most. I realized that they refuse to believe that most cops acknowledge that there are Bad cops who should have never been given a badge & gun, who are chicken shit and will shoot a cockroach if it crawls at them too fast, who never worked in the hood and may be intimidated. That most cops dread the thought of having to shoot someone, and never see the turmoil and mental anguish that a cop goes through after having to kill someone to save his own life. Instead they believe that we are all blood thirsty killers, because the media says so, even though the numbers prove otherwise. I realize that they truly feel as if the death of cops will help people realize the false narrative that Black Lives Matter, when all it will do is take their movement two steps backwards and label them domestic terrorist. I realized that some of these people, who say Black Lives Matter, are full of hate and racism. Hate for cops, because of the false narrative that more black people are targeted and killed. Racism against white people, for a tragedy that began 100’s of years ago, when most of the white people today weren’t even born yet. I realized that some in the African American community’s idea of “Justice” is the prosecution of ANY and EVERY cop or white man that kills or is believed to have killed a black man, no matter what the circumstances are. I realized the African American community refuses to look within to solve its major issues, and instead makes excuses and looks outside for solutions. I realized that a lot of people in the African American community lead with hate, instead of love. Division instead of Unity. Turmoil and rioting, instead of Peace. I realized that they have become the very entity that they claim they are fighting against.

I realized that the very reasons I became a cop, are the very reasons my own people hate me, and now in this toxic hateful racially charged political climate, I am now more likely to die,... and it is still hard for me to understand…. to this day.

LV Cop Block Founder Uses Alias, Has Criminal Past

Severin Johnson outside Allentown City Hall

LV Cop Block organizer Severin Freeman told Allentown City council last night that police officers are "out of control," and to prove his point, claimed to be in possession of a police brutality video shot just 20 minutes before the meeting. He claimed it shows about 10 officers rough housing a pregnant woman. "It will be the next viral video," he promised. But a reader alerted me this morning that Freeman has a reason for his animosity towards police. His real name is Severin Johnson, and he has a criminal history. This includes an aggravated assault in which he permanently damaged someone's eye socket, drug sales and even shoplifting. He's been "out of control" himself.

When confronted about why he uses the name Freeman, Johnson responded that "for my families [sic] protection I must not answer that. There is good reason for any discrepancy in my information. I will admit to a number of aliases for my work though." He also told me that all prominent members of Cop Block use the last name Freeman to prevent them from being targeted by police.

When I asked Johnson about his criminal history, he responded with a question. "So a person can not turn their [sic] life around? did I mention I was a church leader before this? "

Like many, Johnson found Jesus in jail.

When I pressed him on the latest video that is supposed to show a pregnant woman being assaulted, Johnson responded with, "I have work to do. videos will post when they post. I am a very busy person. Thank you for your interest in copblock. I suggest you direct any further questions to our NATIONAL site Copblock.org. Have a good day. God bless."

He later added, "You wanna blog about something, how about my charity here? I have made ZERO money on this Allentown reporting." He then added he does not have the video of the pregnant woman being roughed up because the person who took it is fearful of retaliation.

While there is no doubt in my mind that there are instances in which police officers over-react and use excessive force, Johnson is in no position to cast stones.

Updated 1 PM: Johnson comes clean ... at least a little: "I just made a public statement on my page to clear things up. I also spoke with my family and decided to include my real name in my profile along with the surname "freeman" so both are listed. In retrospect I can see how people may think it was deceiving. It truly was not intended to cover anything up."

"Corruption Ahead" at Allentown City Council?

"Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here," the inscription on the gate to Hell in Dante's Inferno, should be probably be required at the entrance of every government building. Until the next rainstorm, there is a warning outside of Allentown City Hall. Scrawled in chalk, "Corruption Ahead" was the message I saw as I danced between the raindrops on my way to a City Council meeting. That message was the remnant of a brief protest before the meeting, choreographed by LV Cop Block organizer Severin Freeman..

"Corruption Ahead" was the warning, scrawled in chalk, outside the entrance to Allentown City Hall last night. I was there to watch Jeanette Eichenwald introduce legislation aimed at limiting pay-to-play, but the place was packed with about 60 people. Many of them were there to complain about what LV Cop Block organizer Severin Freeman calls an out-of-control police department. "Something horrible is going to happen," he warned, as three officers quietly sat in the meeting room. Police had their defenders, too, including a woman who stated that officers are routinely taunted to provoke a reaction that can be filmed on ubiquitous cell phones.

Tensions between police and at least some citizens have escalated, especially after police arrested James Ochse, age 61, for singing The Beach Boys' Barbara Ann outside of Shula's restaurant in downtown Allentown on Friday night. A video of that encounter (viewed nearly 6,000 times on my Youtube page) shows Officer Robert Busch body slam Ochse to the ground, after which he digs a knee into Ochse' kidney.

Just days before that arrest, a lawsuit was filed against an Allentown police officer who allegedly assaulted someone for videotaping an arrest in which a stun gun was used. Officer Jason Ammary also apparently smashed the cellphone.

Ammary is the subject of another civil rights lawsuit over his use of a stun gun to the groin area of a 15 year-old Dieruff High School student.

Since 2013, Allentown police officers have been defendants in 15 federal civil rights suits.

According to Freeman, just minutes before last night's meeting, a resident was able to capture a video of police using excessive force against a pregnant woman who had previously been fighting with her boyfriend. According to the woman who shot the video, police ignored this pregnant woman when she revealed her condition. But this pregnant woman is also alleged to have tried to kick out the windows of a cruiser. Freeman indicated he will upload that video today.

Complaints to the police have become so frequent that the department has begun blocking some commenters from its Facebook page, while warning the rest, "Filing of a law suit is only a fact that a law suit was indeed filed. It does not mean any party is guilty simply because suit was filed. The facts of any allegation will be brought to light, and dealt with accordingly."

Clearly, police are feeling a bit defensive. One of the protesters admitted that some people do taunt officers. But it's hard to justify grabbing a 61 year old man from behind and then throwing him to the ground.

NIZ Squad Arrests Man Singing Outside Shula's

Sarah Varjassy, a bartender at Bethlehem's Bayou, shot the video you see above, of Allentown police, accompanied by either Mormons or the Men in Black, arresting a man who was singing outside Shula's on Friday. On the bright side, he was not tased.

He's collateral damage in FedEd's war on Allentown's poor and homeless.

The Men in Black are actually security guards for the Strata Condos above Shula's. The fellow who was hauled away apparently walks by there everyday, singing. He is regarded as harmless and is the kind of phenomenon who makes urban life interesting.

But the MIZ (Millionaire Improvement Zone) was never intended to create a vibrant downtown. It is just another artificial Promenade.

It is certainly possible police had a reason to arrest this man, but nothing he was doing in that video is a justification for what happened, or the force used.

Varjassy's video surfaced at Lehigh Valley With Love. Blogger Michael Molovinsky comments, "mr. reilly's business interests must be protected at all costs. perhaps the art's walk should be renamed, taser alley."

Scott, the restaurant manager at Shula's, denied that he made a call to complain. But he added, "It's not right that he does what he does. The police asked him to leave and he resisted," Scott claims, though the video seems to tell a different tale. He added that this man interferes with the "dining experience."

I could imagine patrons looking out Shula's window with their mouths full of dead cows and blurting, "Ugh, poor people!"

"I think the police do a very good job down here," Scott concluded.

August 16, 2015

Updated 10:40 am: - The crooner who appears to have been assaulted by Allentown police is James Ochse. In February 2014, he was arrested by Allentown police after a disturbance inside their 10th Street station in which re reportedly yelled obscenities and then ran off. Officers followed him and pushed him into a snpow bank, where a struggle ensued and he allegedly bit an officer's finger. His attorney filed a motion to preserve the video of that incident, but Ochse ultimately entered a guilty plea to resisting arrest. Other charges were dropped. Judge Kelly Banach imposed a sentence of six months probation.

In 2013, he was charged with trespass after breaking into his ex-wife's house while she was away and sleeping in the house. He spent some time in jail after that incident.

So he has a history, but that's no justification for a police assault.

Updated 5:10 pm.: - A second video shot by restaurant patron Louisa Rans Soos shows pretty much the same thing as Varjassy's video. This one is a bit closer and you can see that the officer is not wearing gloves, as I originally thought, and that his sunglasses are perched. According to Soos, "Beautiful night and a nice serenade until the cops show up at minute 2:15. The guards said he touched the officer but I don't see that on my video and neither did the other 15 or so witnesses. Was it really necessary to throw him to the ground especially since he was walking away?! Some heard his head hit the pavement. 3 cop cars, 1 police van, and a bike cop later, he was taken away. Apparently a grumpy elder called the cops because he didn't like the noise of his singing. Seriously?

Could This Happen Here?

The Patriot News has published, "Terrorized town declares alleged 'rogue' cop a 'public menace': Could it happen in your town?" It's about a Georgia Cop who terrorized a small community for ten years before something was done. The last straw was his decision to tase some poor bastard for loitering outside a convenience store.

The Patriot News asks, "Could this happen in your community?"

I think you know my answer. I will say that, for the most part, I find officers to be very courteous, especially now that I'm an old fart. Even in Nazareth. Especially in Bethlehem, where they are often more like good-will ambassadors. What are things like for you?

Controversial Cop Out at Fountain Hill

A Fountain Hill police officer fired for roughing up a suspect and then lying about it, but who was later reinstated after binding arbitration, is finally gone for good. Grady Cunningham, Jr., a police officer with a "Fighting Solves Everything" tattoo emblazoned on his forearm, resigned from the force on May 23. But it will cost the Borough. In an agreement approved by a vote of 4-2 during a short but heated special meeting, Fountain Hill Borough Council will pay Cunningham $35,000 and provide a neutral recommendation to any prospective employer.

Cunningham, a Fountain Hill police officer since 2010, was fired in February 2013 after being deceptive about a police surveillance tape that showed him 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. But McLaughlin sued both Cunningham and Fountain Hill over the incident, alleging that the police brutality is a violation of his civil rights. Represented by South Whitehall Township Attorney Richard Orloski, McLaughlin recently settled his claim for $95,000, according to borough officials.

It was not the first time Cunningham roughed someone up.

Cunningham's checkered past

As a bouncer at Jelly Beans Southside Jam in Allentown, Cunningham was ordered to pay more than $1 million after severely beating a bar patron who was annoying others with talk of religion and his missionary work.

In Northampton County, magistrate dockets reveal that, in 1993, harassment and terroristic threats against Cunningham were sent on to County Court. Also in 1993, bad checks, forgery, receiving stolen property and unlawful use of computer charges were sent to court. What happened at the County level is unknown. There is no record. It could be that he was admitted into ARD, a special program for first offenders, after which the charges are dismissed and sometimes expunged.

He still owes Northampton County $354.50 in costs for an old (1991) disorderly conduct conviction. The matter was referred to a collection agency..

In Lehigh County, Cunningham was charged with terroristic threats, harassment, disorderly conduct in 2003. Charges were downgraded to two counts of harassment and he was placed on six months probation and fined $600. He was later brought back to court on contempt charges for ignoring his costs.

Cunningham also has a history of domestic violence. In Lehigh County, Protection From Abuse Act (PFA) contempt charges were filed against Cunningham in 2003. That same year, a PFA was sought and obtained against him in Northampton County. Those PFA charges were eventually dropped by his battered girlfriend after a custody order was entered, assuring that his visitation with his son would be supervised.

Arbitration and Reinstatement

Despite this checkered past and unprofessional behavior as a police officer, Arbitrator Steven Wolf concluded last August that Cunningham was entitled to "one final opportunity." He then gave Fountain Hill and the FOP the opportunity to pay his $12,600 bill for three days of testimony.

Though Cunningham was reinstated, he would never patrol again. Chief Ed Bachert kept him on desk duty. Then, because of "concerns" that needed investigation, Mayor Jose Rosado had Cunningham placed on paid administrative leave. Cunningham himself began making complaints against the Borough with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Resignation
.
The impasse ended with the acceptance of Cunningham's resignation during a special meeting on May 23, along with a $35,000 payment and promise to provide neutral recommendations. Attempting to fire Cunningham again would have been financially irresponsible, according to Mayor Rosado. He explained that the process would take 6-8 months, and that the Borough would pay 2-3 times more in attorney fees than it agreed to pay Cunningham. "There's also no assurance that we would get the outcome that we did receive," he added.

The six Council members who voted (Carolee Gifford was delayed by a medical emergency at her hospital and missed the vote) all agreed that it was time to part ways with Cunningham. But it was still a fractious meeting, with Council President Larry Rapp and Helen Halleman trading barbs.  Rapp voted to approve the resignation settlement, and was joined by Norman E. Blatt, Fred Capuano, and Doug Trotter.

Halleman, joined by Philip Trable, voted to reject the deal. "No, no, no, absolutely not!" she voted. She was disgusted by any financial settlement. "Shame on the arbitrators and my colleagues for voting in favor of this, since [Cunningham] has been collecting full salary and health care benefits for several months."

"Listen up, you citizens of Fountain Hill," she said after the meeting. "These are taxpayer dollars. All gone to waste. When budget time comes, you will all be given a big shot with a tax increase because we are in a bigger than ever deficit. When you go to the polls, you know what you can do? Get on the ballot and help the Borough survive."

Rosado stated that the police force is now down to four full-time officers, plus the Chief.

Arbitrator: Brutal Cop Deserves One Last Chance

Grady Cunningham on the range

Though Fountain Hill's Borough Council voted unanimously to file a police officer who used excessive force, and then lied about it, arbitrator Steven N. Wolf has ordered Officer Grady Cunningham, Jr. reinstated. Why? Did he find that Grady's use of force was appropriate? Did he conclude there was no lying? Did he exonerate Grady? In a word, No. But he gave him his job back.

Pursuant to a Right-to-Know request, I obtained the 18-page decision. Wolf conducted three days of hearings and four "study" days, all at $1,800 per day. His total bill comes out to $12,600, half paid by the police union and half by the Borough.

In this decision, Wold concludes that Officer Cunningham did use excessive force. He founfd that he was deceptive in failing to report the incident, and violated policy in entering a holding cell with his firearm. Though Cunningham played the race card, the arbitrator found no evidence of racism. But because it has been his "lifetime goal" to pursue police work, the arbitrator thought he'd give him one last chance to do so. He loses no seniority, either.

Grady Cunningham Arbitration Decision

Reinstated Fountain Hill Cop to Return on Monday

Though a unanimous Fountain Hill Borough Council disagrees, it appears that a police officer they fired will be back on the job on Monday. Grady Cunningham, Jr., was fired after a police surveillance tape showed up roughing up a petty criminal. He was also deceptive when questioned about the matter. But he's been reinstated, thanks to a favorable ruling in a binding arbitration. According to Chief Ed Bachert and Mayor Jose Rosado, Cunningham has indicated he'll be at work on Monday, though the Chief said he won't be allowed to patrol for the time being.

Will Lewis from Channel 69 was there, too, and got Mayor Rosado to explain what was happening in Spanish, too.

How cool is that!

Will Borough Council appeal this binding arbitration? Though Council went into executive session to discuss the ruling, Council President Larry Rapp said they would not be coming out to take official action. Their Solicitor was absent, too. So an appeal seems unlikely, given the costs and hurdles involved in appealing a binding arbitration.

There was no public hue or outcry at tonight's meeting, though word is only now beginning to get out to the public.

Reaction is mixed. One person at the meeting told me that Cunningham helped her when her brother had a serious fall and was injured. But another resident said he had words with Cunningham over his driving.

I have told you about his checkered history, and want you to know that I have been unable to contact him. I have reached out to him on Facebook, but have heard nothing.

Tonight was the first time to visit Fountain Hill, and I loved it there. First, I love borough government because most of the officials involved are just there to serve their communities and have no ambitions for higher office. Though it was a workshop meeting ona hot Summer night, all but one Council member was present. President Larry Rapp made sure to seek public comment before every matter on the agenda, not because he had to, but because he genuinely wanted to know what people thought.

In a discussion of a $200 appropriation for a child abuse investigator in the DA's office, Council member Carolee Gifford, the sole Republican on Council, wanted to give more. "It's for a good cause," answered Democrat Helen Halleman.

Democrats and Republicans seem to get a long much better in borough government than they do in Congress.

Fountain Hill Cop's Mantra: Fighting Solves Everything

His name is Liu Fang. He's from China, and was visiting the Lehigh Valley over the Thanksgiving Holiday. Deeply religious, he wanted to spread the Word. But the place he chose to talk about Jesus, Jelly Beans Southside Jam in Allentown, was less than ideal. Patrons complained about Fang's born-again fervor, and bouncer Grady Cunningham went to work. Fang was beaten to within an inch of his life and left in a puddle of blood. Praise be Jee-bus! Fang went on to get a $1 million judgment (2007-C-2459) he's never been able to collect. Cunningham went on to become a Fountain Hill police officer who was recently exposed on videotape, roughing up a handcuffed and shoeless petty criminal. Though he was fired by an unanimous Borough Council, a recent arbitrator's award says there's nothing to see here. Move along. Give this man his job back. Doesn't the FOP rock?

Despite a major civil judgment for brutality, Cunningham also works part-time in other police departments. Maybe they like the tattoo emblazoned on his forearm, saying "Fighting Solves Everything." Just the thing you'd want to see in a man sworn to serve and to protect.

Grady Cunningham thanks FOP for their support

Maybe that's why they overlooked his checkered history in both Lehigh and Northampton County before hiring him as a Fountain Hill police officer in 2010.

In Northampton County, magistrate dockets reveal that, in 1993, harassment and terroristic threats against Cunningham were sent on to County Court. Also in 1993, bad checks, forgery, receiving stolen property and unlawful use of computer charges were sent to court. But what happened on the County level is unknown. Poof! No record. It could be that he was admitted into ARD, a special program for first offenders, after which the charges are dismissed and sometimes expunged.

He still owes Northampton County $354.50 in costs for an old (1991) disorderly conduct conviction. The matter was referred to a collection agency, but he blew them off.

In Lehigh County Cunningham was charged with terroristic threats, harassment, disorderly conduct in 2003. Charges were downgraded to two counts of harassment and he was placed on six months probation and fined $600. He was later brought back to court on contempt charges for ignoring his costs, like he did in Northampton County, and he coughed up the dough rather than go to jail.

Lehigh County has always been better than Northampton County that way.

In addition to the criminal charges against a cop who believes that fighting solves everything, he has a history of domestic violence. In Lehigh County, Protection From Abuse Act (PFA) contempt charges were filed against Cunningham in 2003. That same year, a PFA was sought and obtained against him in Northampton County. Those PFA charges were eventually dropped by his battered girlfriend after a custody order was entered, assuring that his visitation with his son would be supervised.

Civil records also reveal that someone named "Grady Cunningham" is a bit of a deadbeat. I can't be sure this is the same Grady Cunningham who was born in 1971 and worked as a police officer in Fountain Hill, but let me list the details with the caveat that this could be someone else:
1995: $1,567.50 judgment (back rent)
1996: $4,910.22 judgment (back rent)
2004: $1700 judgment by People First FCU
2008: $3,561.20 judgment (back rent)
2008: $1,856.20 judgment (back rent)
2013:  In February, a $11,997.60 judgment (back rent)
.
Grady Cunningham should not be working as a police officer. Anywhere.

Guys like me give lawyers a bad name. I lost my license to practice in 1985 for unethical conduct as a result of my drinking, but believe me, that was only the tip of the iceberg. There was more. So much more. My dad spent a lifetime building up a good name, and I tore it down in seconds. I probably knocked a few years off the lives of both my parents. But I am the exception, not the rule. Most lawyers are, contrary to popular opinion, honest to a fault. They are members of a profession. Just as I was a bad lawyer who had to be taken down a notch, Grady Cunningham is a bad cop who deserves no rewards or breaks for roughing up a criminal suspect.

Like lawyers, most police officers are dedicated professionals whose ultimate goal is to help people. Take Fountain Hill Police Chief Ed Bachert, for example. Before being named Chief in 2011, he devoted a career to Allentown. With a Master's Degree in Public Administration, he basically ran day-to-day operations in during Mayor Afflerbach's Administration as an Allentown police officer. His was a voice of reason. He's a good cop, as are most police officers.

"We have to police ourselves and do the right thing if we want the trust of our community," Bachert told The Morning Call when Cunningham was terminated.

All too often, that wisdom is ignored by public sector union arbitrators. I expect to have the arbitration ruling soon, and when I get it, I'll share it with you.

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.

Taser Youtube Video Has Over 516,000 Views

I know this will come as a great shock to most of you, but there are people out there who really hate my guts. In addition to all the hate posted in anonymous comments here, the people I cover are usually besieged with emails warning them about my evil ways.

I can't understand it. I'm such a nice guy.

I'll give you an example. Wicked Witch of West Easton Tricia Mezzacappa - no doubt encouraged by her curiously unnamed blog mentor - recently emailed both State Rep. Bob Freeman and Easton Mayor Sal Panto, to warn them both about my dark side. She's very upset because Mayor Sal Panto, in particular, often responds to my posts about him, and did so over the weekend.

In addition to these direct communications, anonymous comments like this pop up here and there. "The People, through email, phone calls and cancelled subrictions [sic] if necessary, need to let O'Hare's enablers on the media and politics that it is unacceptable to continue to support his vitriolic blog."

I particularly like this one. "You're either with The People or with O'Hare."

Of course, what really outrages these people is that I tell the truth. In Mezzacappa's case, I posted police reports from her numerous calls to them this year alone. I thought you should know that this borough council wannabe and political opportunist calls her neighbors "niggers," drug dealers and chop shop operators. She accuses West Easton Borough officials of theft, and me of burglary. Incidentally, I'm also a stalking "pig kicker." Despite numerous calls to police about everything else, she never reported me for assaulting porky. She meant to, but slipped in pig piss.

Well, Mezzacappa and her goofy allies better put their keyboards into overdrive. My Tuesday Youtube video, Allentown Police Tase 14 YO Dieruff High School Student in Her Groin, is now up to 507,303 views. It has resulted in a small spike in a few of my other videos. Some of the more popular ones are below.

6th Grade Canes @ Allen Canaries, Dec 4, 2011 - 1005 views

Bethlehem Steelers v. Mountainville, 10/9/10 - 800 views

Bethlehem Steelers v. South Parkland Trojans 10/16/10, a game of inches - 663 views

Bulldogs @ Bethlehem Steelers - 599 views

Who Is This Guy? - 588 views

Sam Bennett Practices Her War Cry - 572 views

Attack of the Gracedale Goon! - 552 views

Controller, City Council Prez, Warn T-Mobile to Unionize - 550 views

Tony Nauroth Talks to Gov. Chris Christie - 441 views

Dent Smeared While Debating - 425 views

Allentown Fair Fave - the Dunk Tank - 412 views

Rick Orloski & Jobs - 411 views

Boscola Dreams About Medical Marijuana - 374 views

I still can't get anyone to watch John Stoffa, even though I've suggested he deliver his speeches drunk and in leotards. Maybe I'll get Angle to tase him.

What is Memorial Day? - 1 view

A'town Taser Assault: Was Minor Illegally On the Road?

You and a quarter-million other people have by now seen the video of Allentown police officer Jason Ammary using his taser against an unarmed 14 year old grl on September 29, even though she had her arms up in surrender. She had it coming, some of you say. After all, she was committing a horrendous crime - walking in the street.

But I now wonder whether she and her two female companions were really in violation of a City ordinance banning pedestrians on the street. It looks like the road is actually closed, precisely so that students can walk there when school lets out.

If you look at the taser assault scene, where Ammary is intimidating one of this girl's companions, you'll see the rear of a movable sign in the roadway. It's the kind of sign that might be placed there if traffic is temporarily blocked when school lets out. I wonder what's on the other side of the this sign.

Anybody know?

Taser Story Goes Viral

At the end of the day yesterday, I was contacted by Allentown Attorney Rick Orloski. He's the ambulance chaser (according to some of my readers) who filed a federal lawsuit against Allentown police officer Jason Ammary late last week. Ammary used his taser on a 14 year-old girl on September 29, when she and two of her female companions were on their way home from Dieruff High School. She was committing a very serious crime - walking in the street.

"What the hell are you doing to me?" Orloski demanded. Apparently, he had been besieged all day by reporters and TV cameras from four different news stations. Even Fox.

I think he's suing me next.

The story and the video I posted yesterday have done viral. The video had 8,148 hits at midnight, with 69 likes, 52 dislikes and 302 comments.

My video appeared on Drudge Report, Philly Daily News, The Blaze, Express Times, U.K.'s Daily Mail, The Root, MSNBC, NewsOne, GlobalGrind, HuffPo, Opposing Views, and NBCPhiladelphia.

I'll avoid driving in Allentown for the next few weeks years. Orloski should be picked up for DUI sometime this weekend.

Updated 10:35 AM: Holy shit! The video now has 244,209 views! It has also been age-restricted by Youtube because it depicts violence. So 14 year-old girls can be shot by police with tasers, but can't watch the video. This is one strange country!

A-Town Taser Victim Has F/B Page: I AM KESHANA WILSON

A Facebook page, I AM KESHANA WILSON, was set up after September 29, when Keshana Wilson was tased by Allentown police officer Jason Ammary outside of Dieruff High School. In addition to being hospitalized, Wilson may also have been incarcerated for about a month, after which she was freed and the more serious charges against her were dismissed.

In caps, one person comments, "I AM SO HAPPY THAT KEE'S HOME. GOD SAW FIT TO DELIVER HER FROM THE LIONS DEN!!!AND YES PRAYER DOES WORK!!!!!!"

In the grainy video I've posted, it's impossible to get a real good look at this young lady. In the attached picture, she's the dangerous looking criminal on the right.

The group has 285 members.

Readers React to Allentown Cop Who Tases 14 Year Old Girl

On Monday, I told you about a federal civil rights lawsuit filed Friday by Allentown Attorney Rick Orloski. Today, I want to exlain why lawsuits like these are necessary.

On September 29, a 14 year-old Dieruff High School student, who happens to be a bi-racial female, was walking along ... actually in ... Washington Street after school had let out for the day, with two of her friends. According to her complaint, she was accosted from behind by Allentown police officer Jason Ammary, who shoved her into a parked car, choking her. After already subduing her, he decided to zap her with his taser for good measure, right in her private parts. It made no difference that he hands were up in surrender. She collapsed to the ground in pain, and had to be hospitalized for the removal of the barbs. While all this was going on, Ammary was supposedly deriding the child and her "socio-economic status."

Stories like this are a dime a dozen, but what makes this case interesting is that there's a video, which was obtained from the City's own surveillance cameras. It's really a fluke that it caught any of what happened because the camera is set to rotate periodically. But it contains two segments showing the girl as she walks down the street with her two friends (15 seconds) followed by a scene in which the girl is abused by an Allentown police officer (39 seconds). I obtained and posted the video yesterday afternoon.

I am showing it again.

Now some of you were unconvinced there was really an assault here, and that's fine. You correctly point out that this girl, a teenager among her peers, was probably acting up. Others, myself included, believe this is a clear assault. We can disagree without being disagreeable.

But there's a real dark side in some people, especially when they know they can remain anonymous. They would have been happy if the officer had shot the girl because she is, afer all, bi-racial.

I spent a lot of time last night deleting incessant racist comments, which made it impossible for me to write about some things going on here in the Lehigh Valley. But I've decided to post some of these deleted comments here. They explain why Orloski's suit is absolutely necessary.

"what is this broads ethnicity? if she is mixed then she should be nixed"

"an ahole is an ahole is an ahole. bo you have gotten a PhD in ahole. at least you accomplished one thing in your worthless life. Well two - you do have a half breed grandchild."

"half breeds respect nothing. this is what this whole situation is about. If the broad had respected authority and done as she/it was told all of this would not have happened. look at the crime stats from the valley. ain't white folk."

"bo is indeed himself a racist. just pay attention to what he deletes. the poor boy has no soul"

"send her back to where ever she came from. she can ho up there"

"the bi racial bitch deserved it. she even enjoyed it. I know"

Of course, in addition to the racism, there were numerous attacks aimed at me. So before you call Orloski an ambulance chaser, it's important to recognize that racism and other kinds of pure hatred are still alive and well.