iradiophilly | News - Managing Director Brian Abernathy Expected to Resign; Allentown Police Release Video; Search for 2yo

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Managing Director Brian Abernathy Expected to Resign; Allentown Police Release Video; Search for 2yo

by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA
started: 07/13/20 11:29 pm | updated: 07/13/20 11:29 pm

Philadelphia's Managing Director Brian Abernathy is expected to announce his resignation on Tuesday at a 1 p.m. press conference according to multiple reports. Abernathy (as well as Mayor Jim Kenney and Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw) has faced recent criticism and calls for resignation over the city's response to protest and civil unrest and the police department's use of force. "I trusted our police tactics, managed multiple large events and trusted how we prepared," Abernathy previously said. "I never imagined, having witnessed our city coming apart at the seams. I was dumbfounded by how out of touch I really was and how I underestimated the anger and rage and frustration of folks Iâ€™m hired to serve."

Abernathy was appointed to the position in January 2019 after previously serving as Deputy Managing Director. He oversees the city's operational departments and day-to-day operations. Normally a mostly unseen position, Abernathy became a public figure once the city began to grapple with the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and started holding daily press conferences to keep the public informed. He appeared each day to give updates and answer questions about city operations and the response to the virus. Abernathy reportedly will stay until the end of August. No word on a possible successor.

Allentown Police have released a 9 minute long video of an incident that led to an arrest over the weekend. A short portion of that arrest was filmed by someone driving by and posted to social media over the weekend causing protests in the Lehigh County city over alleged police abuse. One of the officer's actions resembles actions in the video of George Floyd. The Lehigh County District Attorney's office is investigating the incident. See videos below.

It happened outside the emergency room of the Sacred Heart Campus of St. Lukeâ€™s Hospital on the 400 block of W. Chew Street. A man is seen staggering and vomiting. He appears to be suffering a medical, medical, or substance/alcohol incident. There is no audio on the video. Police officers stand at a distance and seem to be talking to the man. Eventually they approach and try to place him in cuffs, but the man is non-compliant and resists. There is a struggle and they fall to the ground. The man still resists putting his hands behind his back. He even spits on an officer. At one point a car pulls up and stops in front of the incident. This is the car that took the 26-second viral video. One officer in the struggle puts his knee/shin on the man's head/neck. It's there for 8 seconds before the officer moves off. After the man is subdued, a nurse places a spit mask on him. The man is led into the hospital where he is treated and eventually released. The identities and races of the man and the officers involved have not been released.

SEE: Allentown Police statement

The FBI and Pennsylvania State Police are now involved in the search for 2-year-old King Hill who has been missing since July 7. He was last seen at 31st and Paige Streets in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. "We're speaking to everyone. We're leaving no stone unturned," said Philadelphia Police Capt. Mark Burgmann. King's mother, Anita Hill, had dropped him off in early June to spend time with his stepfather. Last week, the stepfather dropped the toddler off at a babysitter. That babysitter says she dropped the child back off at the mother's, but Anita Hill says that didn't happen. "We have the babysitter saying she turned the baby over. We have the mother saying no she did not," Capt. Burgmann said. The child has disappeared in the exchanges. Anyone with information should call SVU investigators at 215-685-3251 or call 911.