Philly cop off street duty after scuffle with teen girl

A Philadelphia police officer has been removed from street duty pending an Internal Affairs investigation into a fight between her and a teenage girl that was captured on video and shared widely on social media.

Police Commissioner Richard Ross said Tuesday that the officer admitted to throwing the 16-year-old to the ground and punching her about 2:45 p.m. Monday on the 1300 block of South 54th Street. Police had responded to a report of a person with a weapon and found a brawl involving more than 30 people.

Video of the scene, posted on Facebook and Instagram, shows the officer and the teen shoving each other while moving away from a crowd. The camera briefly focuses elsewhere, then quickly pans back to show the officer throwing the teen to the ground, getting on top of her, and swinging her fists.

What the video did not capture, Ross said, was the 16-year-old slapping the officer in the face and knocking her glasses off before the officer tackled her. Ross said that the teen admitted to doing so during an interview with police, and that her version was "virtually identical" to that of the officer.

Police said the teen, who lives in Eastwick, also admitted that she had tried to interfere with an arrest during the initial melee.

Cameron Kline, spokesman for District Attorney Seth Williams, said Tuesday night that the office would not pursue a criminal case against the teen, despite the fact that police said they recommended she be charged with assault on police, disorderly conduct, and related offenses.

"After a review of the evidence, we declined to charge," Kline said. He did not elaborate.

Police did not identify the officer or the teen.

"The whole scene was ugly," Ross said.

Police directives state that officers should "use only the minimal amount of force necessary to overcome an immediate threat or to effectuate an arrest." A chart included in the directives says that if an offender is "physically aggressive or assaultive," proper officer options include an "electronic control weapon" or baton.

Ross said determining the appropriateness of the officer's response would be part of the Internal Affairs investigation.

The teen was treated at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for neck pain, police said. The officer sustained facial bruises but declined medical treatment.

cpalmer@phillynews.com 215-854-2817 @cs_palmer