John King wound up swapping a 14-year career with the Philadelphia Police Department rather than obey a security guard’s order to sign a hospital visitor logbook.
On Thursday, King, 55, admitted his error, pleading guilty to an assault charge before Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Chris R. Wogan in a plea deal that will put him on probation for two years – and require him to get anger management counseling.
King was arrested Oct. 14, 2009 at Mercy Philadelphia Hospital, on South 54th Street in West Philadelphia, after getting into an argument with a security guard while trying to visit his sister, a nurse at the hospital.
According to testimony in an earlier court hearing, the off-duty King walked by the security desk, ignoring the “Could I help you?” of on-duty security guard William L. White Sr., a 19-year guard.
Moments later, after the two men argued about whether King would sign a visitor logbook before seeing his sister, witnesses said King brushed past White, pushed him against a wall, and then drew a semiautomatic pistol and pointed it at the dogged guard's chest.
Witnesses testified that King tried to salvage the situation afterward by calling hospital security officials several times to ask if White would file charges. But he threatened to press his own charges against White if the guard did not drop the case.
On Thursday, said Assistant District Attorney William Inden, King was more circumspect when the judge asked if he had anything to say.
“I’m square,” the former officer replied.
Cops on drugs.— RufusG- What an idiot.— anon
- See Absolute power corrupts absolutely! The cops think that they are above the law and can do anything that they want to do and get away with it! That's why their word shouldn't be taken above anyone else's in a court of law because they are no different than any other human! They lie , cheat, steal, kill, and everything else except it's worse when they do it because it's done under the color of authority! Get it through your heads people cops aren't no better than any one else they just haven't been caught yet!— Reesewc20s
- Until the Philadelphia police are held accountable for their behavior (Instead of the Taxpayers of Philadelphia every time they are sued!) this sort of thing will continue. I'll bet he still has his job on the police force.— lelliottaeten
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