RSVP for Political Activism Calls
Mr. Larry Krasner, the newly elected and notably progressive District Attorney of Philadelphia, and Mr. Richard Ross, the somewhat reclusive police commissioner, had recently reflected on the last time an officer here had been indicted on murder or lesser charges.
It was a good twenty years ago, the freshman DA recalled this morning when announcing that his office will charge Mr. Ryan Pownall, formerly of the 15th Police District, with Criminal Homicide, Possession of an Instrument of Crime, and Recklessly Endangering Another Person. Mr. Pownall, who on Tuesday morning had turned himself into police, was found by a Grand Jury to have arbitrarily discharged his service weapon multiple times on June 8th, 2017, resulting in the death of Mr. David Jones.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, with ADA Tracy Tripp to his left, announces criminal charges against former Philadelphia cop Mr. Ryan Pownall. Photo Credit: C. Norris – ©2018
“His death was not necessary to secure his apprehension,” the Grand Jury wrote of Mr. Jones, who was unarmed and fleeing Mr. Pownall when he was shot once in his buttocks and again in his back.
By firing his gun in the direction of traffic, Mr. Pownall endangered other people, the Grand Jury determined. Last summer, City Council President Darrell Clarke said Mr. Pownall doesn’t possess the good judgment to be a Philadelphia cop.
Mr. Krasner this morning approached his remarks by first noting the rarity of the context, saying that his office is doing something that is “regrettably unusual” in the City of Philadelphia. Like many other American cities, Mr. Krasner said, Philadelphia is a place where there has not been accountability for activity by police officers in uniform, especially when that activity involves violence against civilians.
The DA today revealed that since January, nineteen officer-involved shootings, seven of which resulted in injury or death, have been and/or are currently being investigated by his administration.
“This case… the case involving the death of David Jones … is the first case in which this office has determined that there was a basis for criminal charges,” said Mr. Krasner, who later added that “we are very confident we are making the right charging decision.”
The Criminal Homicide charge allows for all levels of homicide to be applicable, the DA said. Mr. Pownall – who as an officer here racked up more complaints than any of his peers and who was among the more than two dozen officers on the now infamous ‘Do Not Call’ list which was enumerated by the former District Attorney – had known this day was coming for a period of time, Mr. Krasner revealed.
Mr. Krasner at the press conference swatted questions that would’ve baited him into declaring Mr. Pownall, a white man in his 30s who lives in the Northeast section of the city with his wife and child, as a racist. The Investigating Grand Jury’s presentment doesn’t suggest Mr. Pownall acted due to any racial animus. Instead, the investigating body suggested that Mr. Pownall acted unreasonably from confrontation to conclusion.
The DA today refrained from offering his opinions on the facts and remained tight-lipped on a number of questions asked to him by local journalists. However, Mr. Krasner was very opinionated about the preceding officials in the DA’s office who he alleged enabled bad behavior by police.
“I think there has been a tremendous lack of accountability for police officer misconduct … police crimes … in many jurisdictions in the United States for a long time… and I don’t think Philadelphia is an exception,” said Mr. Krasner. “I think it has been good politics, here and elsewhere, for a very long time, for district attorneys who wanted to run for higher office, especially statewide office … to be inappropriately close to the police union that might recommend them to all the other police unions across the state. I think that’s how you go from being DA to Governor… there has been a political use of this office that is inconsistent with the oath to pursue justice.”
Mr. Pownall was arraigned this afternoon and, per murder charges, was granted no bail. The head of the local police union, Mr. John McNesby, said the charges against Mr. Pownall prove Mr. Krasner’s anti-law enforcement agenda. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5 has vowed to fight.
Thanks for reading! Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® and I’m Drumming for Justice!™
RSVP for Political Activism Calls
Photo Courtesy of the author.