Much like doctors, the police are often adorned with the utmost respect. On the one hand, they deserve our praise and respect. People in the blue uniform regularly deal with characters that most of us drive past or ignore. Like doctors, they come face to face with challenging situations that often result in danger. However, our Philadelphia police misconduct attorneys at Solomon, Sherman, & Gabay know that police are also just human. At the end of the day, a human putting on a uniform does not magically change their character or behavior.
Being a police person is a job. You put on the uniform, and you take it off. Like any job, there are bound to be mistakes and mishaps. Unfortunately, when you take an oath to protect individuals and the greater public, mistakes can turn into civilians’ nightmares. One such nightmare is that of the Slaughter Family.
In 2006 two plain-clothed officers attempted to talk to residents of a neighborhood where a drug deal occurred. The officers spoke to an African- American gentleman who was a former Marine. The gentleman had a permit to carry. The story in question is whether the gentleman pulled the gun on one of the undercover officers, Davis. The family who stood behind the gentleman said he had his hands up the whole time. The officer told a different story.
The result of the conversation was a bullet in the chest instantly killing Slaughter. After such a tragic incident– if this were any other job– the person responsible for shooting first would sit on the sideline until a thorough investigation. That was not the case for Davis.
Davis is just one of many police officers in Philadelphia who have conducted sketchy behavior, yet they are not held accountable and still active. Ten years after the Slaughter murder, Davis was promoted to an elite position on the police force. Davis’ record is scattered with complaints. Again, he is just one example of many who also have checkered records full of complaints. The lack of transparency does not empower people to believe police are on their side. How can it?
When it comes to delicate situations like police misconduct, it is important to find someone you can trust. An attorney is someone you can trust because clearly, it isn’t the police. Police misconduct is an array of behaviors, not just an untimely death:
With an attorney by your side, we can investigate and get access to police records, including complaints written against the specific police person. If you or someone you love is the victim of police misconduct, our police misconduct attorneys in Philadelphia at Solomon, Sherman, & Gabay are here to help. You can contact us for a free consultation of your case by clicking here or calling 215-665-1100.