A Pennsylvania police chief was quickly relieved of his duties for pulling a gun on a motorcyclist whereas off-duty and in road garments in a caught-on-camera incident.
Manheim Township Chief of Police Duane Fisher was positioned on administrative depart by the division after video surfaced of his April 30 confrontation with Benny Pena-Rivera.
The 24-year-old motorcyclist was driving round city when he pulled over in an alley behind a constructing and heard somebody threatening to shoot him, he claimed.
“All I heard was, ‘On the ground. On the ground, or I will shoot you,’” Pena-Rivera advised WGAL.
The video, obtained by the outlet, captured an armed Fisher stepping out of his automobile along with his gun drawn on the unsuspecting rider.
Fisher, with the gun nonetheless drawn, walked as much as the rider and grabbed him along with his left arm, pinning him between his bike and an exterior wall, in accordance with the video.
“While he is slamming me on the electric panel, he still has his gun in his right hand, having it over here,” Pena-Rivera advised the native station, pointing to his collarbone. “I’m telling him, ‘Don’t shoot me. What’s the reason you’re going to shoot me for?’”
The 2 males started to wrestle earlier than Pena-Rivera escaped the police boss’ maintain and ran away.
Pena-Rivera claims Fisher didn’t flip his mild’s on till after he ran away and the cop boss by no means recognized himself as a member of legislation enforcement.
An arrest affidavit argues Fisher twice introduced he was from the Manheim Police Division, in accordance with the doc seen by the outlet.
The affidavit additionally claims Pena-Rivera pushed and shoved Fisher throughout the altercation.
Safety cameras captured Fisher turning his automobile’s blue and purple lights on 2 minutes after the preliminary confrontation.
“I never remembered any of that because if he is saying that he’s following me by the time he got to this point, he should have had his lights on instead of just withdrawing his gun the way he was doing it,” Pena-Rivera stated.
The next day, Pena-Rivera says he was again out driving the roads when he stopped at a comfort retailer for a pack of cigarettes and took a cellphone name the place he described his alleged brawl with Fisher.
“I was talking on the phone, apparently someone overheard my situation, and they called the police. Five minutes later, eight, nine, maybe 10 cops pulled up to where I was at the moment, and that’s when I got arrested,” he stated.
Lancaster County District Lawyer Heather Adams stated her workplace wouldn’t examine Fisher’s actions saying he adopted protocol.
“Chief Fisher called out on the radio that he was following a motorcycle with no registration plate and provided his location,” Adams’ workplace advised WGAL detailing the police chief following Pena-Rivera’s “erratic driving.
“After Chief Fisher relocated the motorcycle, he then again radioed his location noting that he had the ‘vehicle stopped to the rear of 1917 Fruitville Pike.’ Chief Fisher then exited his vehicle with his weapon drawn and physically grabbed the driver as he ‘began to start the motorcycle,’” the DA’s workplace added.
Police arrested Pena-Rivera on a laundry checklist of costs, in accordance with courtroom data seen by The Put up.
The motorcyclist was initially charged with Felony Aggravated Assault, Evading Arrest, Resisting Arrest, Reckless Driving, Driving with a Suspended or Revoked License, Use of an Improper License Class, Driving with out proof of Monetary Duty, Driving an Unregistered Car, Failure to Cease at a Crimson Sign, Careless Driving and Driving whereas Suspended or Revoked.
Pena-Rivera pleaded responsible to 6 visitors violations after the costs had been amended and the aggravated assault and evading and resisting arrest costs had been withdrawn.
