Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler announced he will hold a briefing to discus the county detective unit investigation into the tasering of a 14-year-old boy by Tullytown police in November.
The press conference will be held at the district attorney’s office in Doylestown.
Advertisements
An FBI probe into the incident that left Joey Williams of Bristol Township with facial injuries continues. The FBI investigation was requested by Tullytown Borough Chief of Police Daniel Doyle.
The controversy started when the minor’s mother, Marissa Sargent, posted graphic photos of her son with a number of visible injuries to his face on social media on Friday night of November 16, alleging Tullytown police assaulted her son as he was being pursued on Route 13 after he was arrested for retail theft charges.
Sargent in an exclusive interview with LevittownNow.com on Saturday, November 17 described her sons injuries and also alleged that Tullytown police officers violated her sons constitutional rights by not allowing her to see him at the police headquarters. She also said they never received her permission for the hospital treatment of her son’s injuries.
Advertisements
The images of Williams with his injuries sparked a national outrage. Sargent, however, at the time wasn’t clear on all of the details of her son’s arrest.
As the outrage grew, with sides of the community divided, threats to members of the police, Sargent, and others were posted on social media platforms.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Advertisements
Was the tasering necessary? Are all those injuries from the tasering? How did Williams escape police? Was he running into or towards traffic? Was Williams on probation? Where did the alleged black BB gun go? were some of the many questions raised by the community.
Williams was arrested along with his 19-year-old uncle. The two were accused of shoplifting from the Levittown Walmart in Tullytown. The cousin drove at a high-rate of speed and struck another car before officers stopped him.
Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler told LevittownNow.com on November 17 the actions of the borough police officer who fired a single taser barb toward the 14-year-old handcuffed boy as he ran toward busy Route 13 in an attempt to escape “seems appropriate.” Later that week Heckler said as the 14-year-old boy was handcuffed near a patrol car and he somehow managed to escape and flee.
Advertisements
The controversy hit epic proportions when Sargent and her son met with Philadelphia law offices of Fortunato Perri Jr. Perri told LevittownNow.com in a one-on-one interview in his office that all accounts from the boy indicated borough police used “excessive force.”
A “Justice for Joey” rally was set by private investigators that fell well short of desired turnout in Tullytown for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. In response to the rally, a social media response group was formed to support the Tullytown Police Department, which held its own rally days later with hundreds turning out.
Advertisements
Tullytown officials provided support for both rallies in support of each groups constitutional right to protest.
More Coverage:
- Support Rally for Tullytown Police Draws Large Crowd
- Rally Draws Few in Tullytown; Organizers Speak About Investigation into Tasering
- Protest Organizer: ‘Injustice Doesn’t Take a Break for Anything, Weather Included
- 1 Rally Canceled, DA Warns About Threats as Ugly Weather Approaches
- EXCLUSIVE: Tasered Teen Wasn’t Locked in Police Car, DA Says; Rally Organizers Meet with Officials
- Tasered Teen, Mother Meet with Civil Rights Attorney
- Controversy Brewing Over Arrest, Tasering of 14-Year-Old-Boy
