A Philly judge dismissed charges against a cop accused of beating a mother in front of her child

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://www.inquirer.com/news/darren-kardos-philadelphia-police-rickia-young-assault-dismissed-20230519.html

A Philadelphia judge dismissed all charges Friday against a former city police officer accused of participating in the beating of a 28-year-old mother during civil unrest in October 2020 — but prosecutors quickly refiled the case to bring it back to court.

The development came as Darren Kardos, 43, was set to be tried on counts including simple assault and reckless endangerment over the beating of Rickia Young, a Black home health-care aide from North Philadelphia who said she was driving to pick up her teenage nephew in West Philadelphia in October 2020, when she attacked by officers and pulled from her car after inadvertently getting caught between police and people protesting in the area.

Police also separated her from her toddler, which contributed to the incident attracting national attention and criticism.

Prosecutors said Friday that a key witness — another police officer — did not show up to testify after being subpoenaed, making it impossible for them to try Kardos. Young was not in court either, but Assistant District Attorney Lyandra Retacco said prosecutors had video evidence to put the case on without her testimony.

Remember when the cops separated the toddler from his mom and then posted photos on social media of a cop hugging the baby and blaming his mom for "wandering lost and barefoot"? This was that case.

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Just as a note - the city paid her $2 million as a settlement

$2M settlement reached after Philadelphia police pull woman from car, beat her

Rickia Young's attorneys say, despite complying with police, officers still pulled her from the vehicle and beat her.


Tuesday, September 14, 2021



PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A $2 million settlement has been reached in the case of a woman who was pulled from her car and beaten by Philadelphia police in October 2020.

Rickia Young was driving down Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia with her 2-year-old son when her way was blocked by a social justice protest following the fatal shooting of Walter Wallace Jr. Her attorneys say, despite complying with a police order to turn around, officers still pulled the then 28-year-old mother from her vehicle and beat her. The incident was videotaped and shared on social media.

Young spoke out Tuesday after the city agreed to the settlement nearly a year later. "I will never forget what those officers did to us that night," she said. "I hope that the officers responsible will never have the chance to do something like this to another person ever again."

Two officers have since been fired for their roles in this case and several others were disciplined.

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https://6abc.com/rickia-young-philadelphia-police-walter-wallace-jr-shooting-philly-protest/11019953/

This is what typically happens to urban areas like here in Philly, where the city ends up paying out millions in settlements to victims of police brutality while the police unions (here it's FOP Lodge 5 and their ass leader) manage to circle the wagons. And in this case, when a "witness" doesn't appear, case dismissed.

And as a sidenote, the protest that she got caught up in being at the wrong place at the wrong time, was regarding a black man here undergoing a mental health episode and the cops arrived and immediately started shooting. The city settled that one for $2.5 million -

Philly Settles With Family of Walter Wallace Jr. for $2.5M, Source Says

Philadelphia has agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Walter Wallace Jr. after his shooting by police a year ago.


By The Associated Press • Published October 28, 2021 • Updated on October 28, 2021 at 6:27 pm

Philadelphia has agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man experiencing a mental health episode whose fatal shooting by police a year ago was recorded and led to protests, an attorney said Thursday. A source with direct knowledge of the settlement told NBC10 the monetary amount is $2.5 million.

Attorney Shaka Johnson said during a news conference that it was “substantial” but stressed it included an injunctive agreement that resulted in the announcement this week that the city would spend $14 million to equip all patrol officers with stun guns and require they be carried while on duty.

“It was ... a substantial monetary settlement that reflected the tragedy that took place, the city’s role and policy failures that contributed to his death,” Johnson said. “The financial settlement was never the family's primary objective. They have from the beginning called for reforms to the police department.”

The U.S. Department of Justice had recommended, in a review of the police department's use of deadly force in 2015, that Philadelphia issue stun guns to all patrol officers, but that never happened, Johnson said.

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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philadelphia-settles-in-fatal-shooting-of-walter-wallace-jr/3018720/