Pennsylvania prosecutors said Friday that a police officer was justified when he pressed his knee to a suspect’s head while restraining him, an incident that immediately made comparisons to the police encounter that led to the death of George Floyd.
Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said two Allentown police officers used reasonable force to restrain Edward Borrero Jr., 37, who said he was intoxicated and posed a danger to himself during the incident. July 11.
“I have concluded that there is absolutely no evidence to support the filing of criminal charges against any of the Allentown police officers involved in this incident,” Martin said in a press release.
Officers were waiting outside the Sacred Heart Campus of St. Luke’s Hospital for the results of a COVID-19 test for a criminal suspect arrested earlier that day when they saw Borrero stumble and vomit, Martin said.
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Activist Maegan Llerena addresses a crowd of protesters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, who gathered on Monday, July 13, 2020 to hold police accountable after a video of an officer appearing placing his knee in the head area appeared. and a man’s neck outside a hospital. Police have launched an internal investigation. (AP Photo / Michael Rubinkam)
Officers tried to stop him and brought him to the ground after he began to act aggressively.
Cell phone images taken from a vehicle that passed through the incident show three Allentown officers pinning a man to the ground. An officer sticks his arm in Borrero’s head a few steps from the entrance to the emergency room as they try to subdue him.
“An officer then moved his knee to Mr. Borrero’s head (not his neck) in order to place him in an emergency restraint to prevent him from moving his body safely, efficiently and effectively to avoid being handcuffed and taken into custody. ” said. “Once that was accomplished, the officer immediately removed his knee from Borrero’s head, but very briefly, he had to put it back on his head, while Borrero spat on the officers.”
Allentown resident Borrero, 37, was later charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct.
The clip immediately made comparisons to Floyd, who died in the custody of four Minneapolis police officers. An officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes. All four were forcibly fired and face criminal charges.
A video of the May 25 incident unleashed a storm of criticism and helped spark global riots and protests that have since prompted local governments to enact law enforcement reform measures and, in some cases, consider impeachment. from the police departments.
Ben Crump, the attorney for Floyd’s family, tweeted a video of the Allentown meeting earlier this week, comparing the officers’ actions to those involved in Floyd’s death.
GRAPHIC VIDEO: @AllentownPolice held this man’s face against the pavement and then one of his officers placed his knee on his neck. This happened yesterday and is exactly what led to # GeorgeFloyd’s death. We need the name and insignia of this officer # NOW. #ICantBreathe, “he wrote.
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Earlier this week, the Allentown Police Department said the encounter was under investigation. Local activists have demanded that the officer be fired and face criminal charges.
