Philly Cop Punches Handcuffed Suspect in Face, Social Media Catches Officer Planting Weapon

Philly Cop Punches Handcuffed Suspect in Face, Social Media Catches Officer Planting Weapon

By Cassandra Fairbanks | PINAC | July 24, 2015

Social Media is ablaze with allegations that a Philadelphia police officer can be seen planting a weapon on a man he had just punched in the face while handcuffed.
Philly cops charged the suspect with a firearms violation in 2010 but it was dismissed in 2013.
The pair of officers were well aware that they were being filmed, as they proceeded to punch the detained man, twice.
The video shown below was originally posted to social media in 2010, but has resurfaced with people claiming that the officer can be seen pulling a weapon from his pocket approximately 30 seconds into the video- before waving it before the camera and telling the witness to get that on film.

“Watch very carefully from seconds 32 to 36 the officer reaches into his right pocket and pulls out a small silver handgun. Watch it in slow motion. Planted it right on him. I shared this to my wall the other day but I just noticed that a few minutes ago,” Facebook user Tony Soto wrote.
“Did I just watch that cop pull a small gun out of his pocket, then try to act like he found it???” Another user, Meredith Goerlich asked.

Those commentators are referring to a portion of the video where it appears that the officer wearing a tie is trying to plant the weapon and the man yells.

Philly Cop rests his plant weapon on partner’s back

While the suspect’s hands are bound behind his back by the first officer’s cuffs, the Philly cop wearing his black tie can be seen sucker punching the suspect.
At the sudden noise, his partner tosses him to the ground.
That’s when the dandy officer in his black tie pulled a weapon from his police pants pocket and began rubbing it all over his partner’s back to keep balance.
The weapon then vanishes behind his partner conducting the collar on the suspect.
Magically, the gun conspicuously reappears at that moment and if you weren’t sure what was happening, even longtime cop watchers at PINAC were shocked by the brazen move the officer in the black tie pulled next.
The officer in question then waves the gun around and shows the weapon to the camera guy, “like he caught a fish in a barrel,” PINAC editor Grant Stern noted.
Following the resurfacing of the video, the Philadelphia Police Department issued a statement, which reads in full:

“Many citizens have sent our department inquires about the attached video (screenshot below), and we do appreciate the concern regarding the video.
We would just like to inform all concerned citizens that this video was originally posted on April 19, 2010, involving an incident in which a male was arrested for Violation of Uniforms Firearm act- VUFA (illegal .22 caliber handgun).
Five (5) years ago when this video was posted, our department was notified and conducted an Internal Affairs investigation into the incident. Internal Affairs sustained the allegations of verbal and physical abuse against the Officer.
In accordance with the collective bargaining agreement between the City and the FOP; the department’s Internal Affairs Unit sent this case to the Police Board of Inquiry with the recommendation for disciplinary action against the officer.

Once this case was heard before the PBI, they concluded that no disciplinary action should be given. The original arrest against the male was dismissed in July 2013.
This department maintains the commitment to address these types of incidents. We will continue to educate our officers to conduct themselves in a professional manner and provide them with the training to treat all citizens fairly and impartially.”

If there was no wrong-doing on the part of the officers, why were charges dismissed against the man who allegedly had an illegal weapon?

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