Philadelphia Police Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna who was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly beating a Temple University student with a baton during a protest last week in Center City was greeted with salutes and cheers from supporters as he went to surrender on the charges Monday.
Bologna, who is also charged with reckless endangerment and possession of an instrument of crime, was applauded by scores of supporters including officers in and out of uniform gathered outside of Lodge 5 of the Fraternal Order of Police in a show of solidarity.
In a video on Twitter, the police officer can be seen hitting a 21-year-old Temple University student in the head and neck with a baton, before the student is knocked to the ground and another officer put his knee on him to keep him down. The event occurred during a protest that took place on June 1.
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Bologna has been suspended for 30 days with the intent to dismiss him from the department.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Friday that the officer had been taken off street duty pending an internal affairs investigation. Hours later, District Attorney Larry Krasner announced that his office would be charging Bologna with a crime. John McNesby, president of the FOP 5 Lodge, said the union was “disgusted” by that action.
Bologna’s attorney said the officer’s actions were justified because the protests had become violent.
Meanwhile, the support received by the officer has transcended the fact of some applause in his honor.
Officers have organized efforts to help cover Bologna’s legal defense, including a GoFundMe page that had collected more than $22,000 as of Monday morning, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The police union also announced on Twitter that it would sell T-shirts saying “Bologna Strong.”
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