It’s Official: Philly Cops Can’t Win
By Wyatt Earp | August 20, 2007
Tell me again why I took this job?
AP) PHILADELPHIA The parents of a 22-year-old man fatally shot during a police chase are suing the Philadelphia police department.
They claim officers used excessive force and tried to cover it up. An autopsy found that Gregory Campbell’s body had 25 entrance and graze wounds from the gunfire on August 21st, 2006. It was also found that he had no alcohol or illegal drugs in his system.
Police say Campbell had abandoned a friend who rejected his sexual advances, took off in her car and was involved in three hit-and-run accidents before pinning an officer to a fence with the vehicle in the city’s Port Richmond neighborhood.
The pinned officer fired on Campbell, as did two other officers. (H/T – KYW.com)
The worst part about this story is that that city will settle out of court. Guaranteed. That’s what Philadelphia does. They never go to bat for the cops or the citizens, but when the family of some toad who tried to murder a cop files a lawsuit, they bend over backwards to please them.
What is equally troubling is that I used to work with the officer who was pinned to the fence. He’s a good guy and a great cop. Of course, Campbell’s family and the media believe that Officer “L” should have politely asked Campbell to put the car into reverse and pretty please let the medics save his legs!
Guess what, kids? That didn’t work! And, since Campbell had no problem seeing Officer “L” writhing in pain underneath his car, the police had to use deadly force to stop the threat.
And they were totally justified.