The Philadelphia prosecutor’s office refiled charges against Philadelphia police officer Joseph Bologna who was accused of striking protesters last year during a demonstration against racism.
Bologna was seen in a video hitting a protester in the head with a metal baton on June 1, 2020, near 24th Street and the Parkway in the wake of George Floyd death.
The filing Thursday comes about a month after a judge dismissed the charges against Police Inspector Joseph Bologna. The judge found that prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to establish that Bologna’s use of his baton amounted to a crime.
Bologna, 54, was suspended after a video showed him hitting the protester. The officer is charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and possession of an instrument of crime.
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District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement issued Thursday that “Philadelphians demand even-handed justice and we are trying our very best to give them exactly that.”
Bologna’s lawyers declined to comment. John McNesby, president of the police union, said the decision was “not based on facts or evidence,” but was a political decision by Krasner, who is in the midst of a reelection campaign.
“Not based on facts”
According to a Pennlive report, Bologna’s lawyers declined to comment. John McNesby, president of the police union, said the decision about the charges refiled was “not based on facts or evidence,” but was a political decision by Krasner, who is in the midst of a reelection campaign.
Bologna, a 31-year member of the force, had been suspended with intent to dismiss, but when the charges were dismissed Jan. 15, his attorneys said he had the option to seek full reinstatement. It wasn’t clear Friday if he has made a decision.
Bologna’s attorney has said his actions were justified because the protests over the killing of George Floyd had become violent.