Elected Officials Offer Statement on Recent Viral Video Showing Violent Arrest in West Philadelphia

State Rep. Joanna E. McClinton, State Senator Anthony Williams, and Philadelphia City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier today released the following statement in regards to a viral video showing two 12th District PPD officers continually beating a young man who had already been restrained:

“We were alarmed by the viral video making the rounds online, which shows Philadelphia police officers using violent force during the apprehension of a young African American man. It is too often these days that we see young men being assaulted by law enforcement.

“We have come to learn additional details that the video doesn’t include: police body camera footage shows that the young man in question had previously pointed a gun at the officers. While brandishing a gun is certainly concerning and illegal behavior, it does not justify continually punching the man and hitting him with a baton when he had already been restrained.

“When people don’t trust police, they don’t collaborate with the police — and videos like this one are not helpful in the pursuit of that trust. Building better relationships will help us get guns off the street, clear homicides, and make our neighborhoods safer. We value and honor the work that police officers do to keep our residents safe, and we want to build a bridge of trust and respect between law enforcement and the community. We all have to come together to battle the scourge of gun violence that permeates our city.

“We hope that a thorough investigation is undertaken, and that officers in the 12th District and across the city understand that this type of behavior is unacceptable. This incident shows that we can — and we must — do better.”