Man Struck by Cruiser in Pa. Plans to File Suit

Nov. 19, 2012
A man who was seriously injured by a Drexel University police vehicle in a chase last year plans to sue the school.

Nov. 19--A man who was seriously injured by a Drexel University police vehicle in a chase last year plans to sue the school, his attorney said.

Walter Johnson, 44, caught the attention of Drexel police on the evening of Dec. 30, 2011, after he was seen trying to enter several buildings on campus. Believing Johnson was trying to break into the buildings, officers tried to question him, and he fled.

As Johnson ran, a surveillance camera captured a Drexel police vehicle following him that appeared to drive directly at him. On the video, the cruiser slams into Johnson, pinning him to a wall. As the cruiser backs off, Johnson slumps to the ground.

Johnson's lawyer, Robert Levant, acknowledged that police had reason to question Johnson. But their use of force went well beyond what was necessary, he said. Johnson's pelvis and one of his legs were crushed, and Levant said he spent more than eight months in a wheelchair.

"The vehicle points at him in a way that seems intentional," said Levant, who last week made the video public. "To me, this is very troubling."

Drexel declined to comment, citing the pending legal action.

Johnson was charged with attempted burglary and other offenses, but last month, the District Attorney's Office dropped those charges.

Johnson, who has a lengthy criminal record of arrests for theft and burglary, was supposed to be in a halfway house on the night he was injured. Instead, he and a friend were on the Drexel campus looking for a building where they could use a public bathroom, Levant said.

Drexel police said Johnson and his friend were trying to break into buildings, using screwdrivers to pry doors open, according to Levant. Video surveillance, however, shows Johnson trying to open several doors, then turning away within seconds of finding them locked, Levant said.

"There is no evidence of him doing what they said he did," said Levant, who plans to file suit in the coming weeks.

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Contact Allison Steele at 215-854-2641 or [email protected].

Copyright 2012 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

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