Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna faces charges of aggravated attacks, simple attacks, possession of crime instruments and carelessly endangering others, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced Friday.
Prosecutors said Bologna was arrested on a cellphone video that attacked a Temple University student on the back of his head when he participated in a mass demonstration on Monday.
The unknown student suffered “serious bodily injury, including a large head injury that requires hospital treatment while detained, including around 10 staples and about 10 stitches,” Krasner’s office said.
Philadelphia police arrested student protesters and detained him for more than 24 hours and referred him to the district attorney for prosecution. But after the prosecutor reviewed the video and other evidence, Krasner refused to sue students and instead demanded Inspector Bologna.
“We are trying to be fair. Accountability must be the same,” Krasner said. “This moment demands a quick and fair response to violence and crime based on facts and evidence.”
Bologna is no longer on patrol duty, according to
WHY local station.
“At the moment, I am handling operations from the office,” he told the telephone station by telephone Friday.
Command of the Philadelphia Brotherhood Police
swear in a statement to “vigorously defend Bologna from these baseless accusations and accusations.”
The police union said they were “disgusted” to find out the allegations. Bologna, a police officer for more than 30 years, “was involved in a turbulent and chaotic situation with only milliseconds to make a decision,” the union said.
“This accusation clearly illustrates Krasner’s anti-police agenda in Philadelphia,” the statement said.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said on Friday that although he was not aware of all the information that led to Krasner’s decision to sue Bologna, an internal investigation into the matter had begun and would continue regardless of the prosecution of the district attorney.
“As a department, we do not condone criminal acts from anyone, and my sincere hope that the district attorney, in fact, holds all those who cause harm to others equally responsible,” Outlaw said.
