Ramsey Welcomes Federal Investigation Into Allegedly Violent Pat Down Of Teen
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia Police commissioner Charles Ramsey says he welcomes a federal investigation into the controversial stop and frisk of a 16-year-old straight-A student. The boy claims he was sexually assaulted during a pat down near Broad and Girard earlier this month. He has been charged with misdemeanors including resisting arrest.
"If you want go to feds, go to the feds-- we want to get to the bottom of it, we want to get to the truth," Philadelphia Police commissioner Charles Ramsey told KYW Newsradio in a one-on-one interview on Thursday evening regarding the stop and frisk of 16-year-old Darrin Manning.
Listen to Cherri Gregg's full interview with commissioner Charles Ramsey in this CBS Philly podcast:
Commissioner Charles Ramsey
The Mathematics Civics and Sciences Charter School sophomore claims he had to have emergency surgery on his genitals after a female officer manhandled him during a January 7th stop and frisk. Ramsey says the officer denies the attack.
Click here for complete CBS Philly coverage of the Darrin Manning case.
WATCH: Security camera video of the arrest.
Manning's attorney, Lewis Small, has refused to allow his client to discuss the incident with police in light of pending criminal charges. Ramsey says the family's refusal to meet with police is slowing an internal affairs investigation.
"What do you do when the very person who is alleging that this took place is unable to speak with us," asked Ramsey.
On Thursday, Small demanded that the feds get involved with the case, saying the police violated Manning's civil rights as well as a 2011 settlement agreement with the City of Philadelphia governing stop and frisks.
"They are not allowed to frisk an individual unless they have reasonable suspicion that he's armed and dangerous and that's certainly not the case here," Lewis told KYW Newsradio.
Ramsey says-- officers can stop an individual based on reasonable suspicion.
"The behavior of the young man was deemed suspicious by the officer," he says, "people can say they were cold and they were running-- but when you look at the video they are the only one running while everyone else was walking...but, I wasn't there....we are trying to piece together facts."
As for Small's request for an investigation -- Ramsey says he welcomes federal oversight.
"You want to call in the FBI or feds, be my guest," he says, "but if you don't sit and talk to them, you won't go anywhere either."
The police are asking anyone who witnessed the January 7th incident at Broad and Girard Avenue to contact police.
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