Court date set for teen injured during stop-and-frisk, charged with aggravated assault & resisting arrest
A Philadelphia teen who alleges that a female police officer injured his groin during a stop-and-frisk will be prosecuted on March 7.
Darrin Manning faces misdemeanor charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest in connection with the incident.
Manning’s attorney, Lewis Small, tells Colorlines that until criminal charges are dropped, the family will not cooperate with Philadelphia police’s internal investigation of the sexual assault allegation. He is also calling for a federal investigation.
Philadelphia police say they stopped Manning for reasonable suspicion but Small, the Manning family’s attorney, maintains there was no reason to initiate a stop, much less, a frisk.
“The best they have is that some of the boys ran on a very cold day,” Small says. “There were no calls of vandalism or robberies in the neighborhood. It was just a visual observance of a group of young black men.”
Manning says he was on his way to a high school basketball game when a female officer stopped and frisked him. Manning suffered serious injuries to his genitals during the stop-and-frisk, which led to the teen being sent to the hospital.
Hospital records show that Manning spent the night following his arrest at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where he underwent emergency surgery. As a result of the incident he may have permanent injuries that prevent him from fathering children.
While the identity of the female officer charged with injuring Manning remains unclear, the arresting officer, Thomas Purcell has had two citizen complaints filed against him. He was cleared in both cases.
Wow.
What should happen here?
Does Manning have a lawsuit on his hands?
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