By Police1 Staff
PHILADELPHIA — A District Attorney who has charged two police officers for illegally detaining a man has a “flimsy case” says a longtime defense attorney with 30-years experience working with the NYPD.
Since being elected, Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner has promised to hold “police accountable for alleged criminal misconduct,” Billy Penn reported.
In his first nine months, Krasner’s office has filed charges against eight officers for alleged on-duty incidents.
However, defense attorney Walter Signorelli said charging the two officers for conducting a Terry stop is “overkill.”
“It seems to warrant a civilian complaint and some instruction for the officers to be a little more careful,” he told Billy Penn.
Officers Matthew Walsh and Marvin Jones are accused of illegally stopping a man and then falsifying official paperwork.
The man filed a civil complaint against the two officers. Internal Affairs concluded the two had made up the reason for stopping and frisking the man.
The PD arrested both officers.
However, Signorelli told Billy Penn that justification in Terry stops usually stand in favor of police.