SEPTA Police Chief Thomas J. Nestel III said on July 1 that he will not dismiss a transit officer who was recorded on a witness’ cell phone video forcing a handcuffed man to the ground at the Frankford Transportation Center last month.
During a news conference announced hours earlier, Nestel said that the rookie officer did not respond appropriately when a man resisted the officer’s command to sit on the ground. In the video, the officer can be seen grasping the man and taking him to the ground. The man had been causing a disturbance, prompting the officer to cite him for obstructing a walkway.
The police chief said that the officer would be disciplined for mishandling the situation and for failing to use his own body camera to record the man’s behavior prior to the physical confrontation. Nestel did not disclose the nature of the officer’s punishment.
“It’s very important that the body cameras capture what the officer is seeing that’s going to prompt enforcement action,” Nestel said. ••
