Philly FOP President Calls District Attorney 'Ethically Challenged Sideline Playboy'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police President John McNesby is outraged after District Attorney Seth Williams declined to charge a teenager with assaulting a police officer. McNesby sent out a public letter Wednesday, calling Williams a "morally and ethically challenged sideline playboy."
It began with a Monday afternoon fight between teenagers in West Philadelphia captured on camera. The footage was posted to social media and it involved a 16-year-old teen and a police officer. Authorities say the 16-year-old girl admitted to slapping the female police officer in the face but the teen was not charged.
"We were all shocked given the circumstances," FOP Vice President Roosevelt Poplar told Eyewitness News.
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McNesby was out of state and unavailable for an interview. In his letter, he sharply criticized Williams.
"Once again the District Attorney of Philadelphia has chosen to disregard his responsibility and look the other way when a Police Officer is assaulted." McNesby wrote.
This video didn't capture the reported slap but showed the officer holding the teen on the ground.
McNesby continued: "First there was the McCoy debacle in which Williams turned against Police and now this."
McNesby is referring to former Philadelpia Eagle LeSean McCoy who was accused of assaulting two police officers, but never charged.
"It's left a bitter taste in our mouths and anytime that something like this goes on we're going to defend our officers," Poplar said.
McNesby ended his letter by writing "It has been very disappointing over the past seven years watching a once promising District Attorney degenerate into a morally and ethically sideline playboy. Philadelphia's citizens and Philadelphia Police definitely deserve better."
A spokesman for Philadelphia District Attorney Williams sent Eyewitness News the following statement:
"District Attorney Williams will never apologize for relying on high investigative and prosecutorial standards before deciding to take away someone's freedom. And it's stunning that anyone, much less a member of law enforcement, would ever believe anything else. Mr. McNesby's comments seem to miss the fact that the District Attorney has prosecuted more police officers than his past two predecessors combined. The District Attorney believes that everyone should be treated the same and held to the same standards regardless of if they are a police officer or not."