Imprison PA Troopers Who Brutally Beat Robert Leone
- by: Susan V
- recipient: Bradford County, Pennsylvania and US Dept of Justice
It’s not clear why Robert Leone didn‘t stop when a PA State Trooper pulled behind him with his lights flashing.
Former PA police officer Larry Hohol, commenting on the video of Leone’s arrest, says a bipolar condition confused him about the officer’s intent. Leone, knowing he’d done nothing wrong, thought the officer was planning to pursue another driver.
But what couldn’t be more clear is that Leone was brutally beaten and his civil rights violated in every way by a group of PA State Troopers.
The video shows one officer jumping from Leone’s car, where he’d climbed to taze him through the sun roof, on top of Leone, pinned down on the pavement by another officer. Though the open car door hid much of what the officers did next, it was clear they were punching and jumping on someone who couldn't possibly have fought back. The photo taken soon after this hours-long ordeal clears up any doubt that excessive force was used.
Tell Bradford County and DOJ to imprison these brutal state troopers.
We, the undersigned, see no excuse whatsoever for the brutal beatings of Robert Leone by Pennsylvania State Troopers.
It is incomprehensible that the only person shown in that video that’s now in prison is the one that is most obviously innocent.
Even though police brutality is “mushrooming,“ according to the DOJ, and growing evidence supports that assertion, few cases have involved the extended brutality of this one, with Leone being attacked by officers while in his car, on the pavement, in the back of the patrol car and later at the hospital.
That Bradford County DA Daniel Barrett would so coolly focus on alleged infractions committed by Leone, while ignoring the violation of his civil rights by the blatantly violent and criminal behavior of the troopers is reason for Barrett’s dismissal, along with dismissal and criminal prosecution of the officers committing this brutality.
That Barrett would refuse to reopen this case now that the public has seen the video and are demanding justice, based on the technicality he chooses to focus upon, is yet another reason he should be removed from his position immediately, along with the troopers involved.
This is another case where failure to properly investigate and prosecute officers committing obvious brutality is forcing the victim and family to file civil lawsuits.
In the meantime, Robert Leone is in prison. One charge against him is aggravated assault against the officer who broke his hand punching Leone in the face!
Some sources, including Obamacrat.com allege that “there has been a high level cover up of this entire matter by the Pennsylvania State Police Office of Integrity and Professional Standards as well as the Prosecuting District Attorney of Bradford County Pennsylvania.”
Obamacrat also alleges that the judge hearing Leone’s case has “questionable business connections within Bradford County.”
Huffington Post reports that Leone was “granted parole in March, but is still in prison because there's no agreement on where he'd stay if released." But his parents believe this is an excuse to keep their son imprisoned while the statute of limitations against the troopers runs out.
Having already served two and a half years of his 16- to 48-month sentence, Leone should be freed at once! He should never have been imprisoned in the first place.
We request that Bradford County and the US Department of Justice properly investigate and prosecute the state troopers involved in this brutal beating of Robert Leone and that the county free Leone now.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this serious matter.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/05/robert-leone_n_1651829.html
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