Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams said Thursday that his office would investigate a teenager's claim that a female officer seriously injured his genitals during a stop-and-frisk search last month.
"When allegations are made about misconduct from a police officer, it erodes the public's trust of law enforcement," Williams said at a news conference. "We want to assure the public we're going to investigate."
Lewis Small, the boy's lawyer, said Thursday that he was encouraged by Williams' involvement in the case and said his client would give a statement to the District Attorney's Office next week.
Darrin Manning, 16, was charged with reckless endangerment, simple assault, and resisting arrest after police stopped him on his way to a school basketball game.
Manning, a student at Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School, said that during a search, the officer grabbed his genitals and pulled, causing a testicle to rupture.
Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey has launched an Internal Affairs investigation. On Thursday, Williams said his office would look into the case as well.
Williams said the office will use "all the tools available at our disposal" but would not say whether he planned to call a grand jury or use subpoena power in the case.
Ramsey said the department's inquiry had encountered a lack of cooperation from Manning and others who were with him when he was stopped by police.
Initially, Small had said his client would not speak to police while the charges against him were pending. But on Thursday, he said Manning and other witnesses would speak to the District Attorney's Office next week.
Anyone with information on the case may contact police or the District Attorney's Office at 215-686-8000.
Copyright 2014 - The Philadelphia Inquirer
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
