Police Reveal Findings Of Investigation After Snow Shovelers Stopped, Questioned In Lower Merion

By Diana Rocco

LOWER MERION, Pa., (CBS) -- Two groups of men shoveling snow in the Penn Wynne section of Lower Merion stopped by police. The picture has gone viral, drawing strong charges of racial profiling. But police now say the officers acted appropriately.

"The investigating officer had reasonable suspicion to conduct an investigatory stop of these five adult males for violation of a township code," said Lower Merion Township Police Superintendent Michael McGrath.

Police say after reviewing video from the officer's stop and conducting interviews, the men were violating a township ordinance that requires a permit to go door to door and solicit services. An ordinance that excludes youth.

"Both groups of men were allowed to stand on the sidewalk and move about freely. They were not handcuffed, nor did any officer make any physical contact with them," said Superintendent McGrath.

No citations were given and they were allowed to finish the job they had started. One man even shook the officer's hand.

"I think this is just a little extreme. They're shoveling snow in broad daylight," said resident Deborah Saldana in an interview with Eyewitness News last week.

"It wasn't for the activity, lots of people shovel snow, it was for going door to door and canvassing and soliciting," said McGrath.

But even with that explanation, not everyone is convinced.

"Lower Merion gives you 30 hours to shovel your sidewalk, so everybody was out shoveling sidewalks. But they only stopped black men in a white community. That's racial profiling," said Joyce Mosley.

Police say to date no one has ever been issued a citation for snow shoveling in Lower Merion. Officials are now going to take another look at that ordinance to see if it needs to be made more specific.