Protesters calling for the suspension of Chester Police Officer Joshua DeWees, the target of three federal civil-rights lawsuits, marched yesterday from Chester City Hall to police headquarters, where they were met by DeWees himself - clad in Phillies gear and surrounded by 20 supporters.
The two groups glared at each other from opposite sides of 7th Street, which served as a buffer. Tensions were high, but there was no violence.
"This guy is out of control. I don't feel safe with him in this city," said Ricky Reese, whose daughter claims in a lawsuit that DeWees struck her with a baton and wrongfully arrested her in 2007 when she was 14. The charges were later dismissed.
Gerald Turner, who sued De-Wees last week in federal court, Philadelphia, said he stopped attending a Chester church he had belonged to for 25 years after De-Wees allegedly berated the congregation with racial obscenities and cited him for disorderly conduct.
Turner, 52, of Bear, Del., said he was trying to report an auto accident that had occurred outside the church in December 2007 when DeWees blew his lid.
"He cussed me out, cussed the pastor out, cussed everyone out, and locked me up," Turner said. A preliminary hearing was never scheduled for his citation.
State Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland sided with Turner and the other protesters yesterday, saying that DeWees should be placed on desk duty until all the complaints can be investigated.
Glancing across the street at a dog that one of DeWees' supporters had on a leash, Kirkland said, "This is like Selma, Alabama. What's going on here?"
DeWees' group dismissed the protesters' complaints, saying they were tarnishing the reputation of a good cop.
"It's shenanigans, fabricated lies against an officer of good moral fiber," said George Oronzio, a member of the Bullets Motorcycle Club, which raises funds for police officers killed in the line of duty.
"I think this is a disgrace, a smear tactic against the police," Oronzio said. "We're tired of this, and we're calling bulls---."
DeWees, 27, declined to comment. In June, his pickup truck was set on fire outside of his house. He has previously said he believes it was a police-targeted arson.
Darrell Jones, president of the Chester NAACP, said yesterday that he has received other complaints about DeWees in addition to the three lawsuits. Jones said DeWees should be suspended if the allegations are proven to be true.
"It's funny that the NAACP is all for due process, but they're not giving Officer DeWees any," said Sean Dougherty, 24, a Delaware County Park Police officer who was supporting DeWees.
Chester spokeswoman Emily Harris said in a statement that the city and Police Department would not comment on active litigation.
She said the city takes all complaints seriously and would "continue to hold the men and women of the Chester Police Department to the highest standards."
|
|
|
|
|
|
MOST POPULAR PHILLY.COM PHOTOS
Daily Headlines
Subscribe now! Daily Headlines Newsletter
Philly.com news blogs
Philly.com Promotions
