On Wednesday night (March 8), the Police Committee of the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners rejected Superintendent Michael McGrath’s recommendation for an 8-hour suspension of the officer who tased a woman in the parking lot of the Wawa Store on Conshohocken State Road, in Bala Cynwyd. The tasing incident occured on January 8 of the is year. The committee did pass a motion that called for the officer to be suspended for 80 hours.
Lower Merion NAACP President Brian Reece-Towner was outraged by McGrath’s recommendation of an 8-hour suspension. He said, “That man should be removed from his job.”
Commissioner Dan Bernheim makes a motion for an 80-hour suspension.
Commissioner Scott Zelov rejected the suggestion for an outside investigation. “The internal investigation, Zelov said, “has been as public as any I have ever seen in this township. It’s been transparent, it’s been documented, and discussed publicly.” I don’t think another investigation is necessary,” he added, “we all know what happened.”
Commissioner Ray Courtney said, “Out of respect for my colleagues, I will vote in favor of Commissioner Bernheim’s recommendation of two weeks, but it doesn’t sit well with me that we aren’t going further on this.”
Commissioner Gilda Kramer, Ray Courtney, Dan Berneim, Andy Gavrin, Josh Grimes, Mike McKeon, Sean Whalen, Todd Sinai and Shawn Kramer voted in favor of the measure. Commissioners Anthony Stevenson, David McComb, Scott Zelov and Rick Churchill were opposed.
This is BS. A police officer tases and terrifies a black woman for tailgating and is suspended for just two weeks. This racist SOB should be fired and never allowed back into law enforcement again. Why is McGrath still even on the LMPD. He received a unanimous vote of no confidence., he’s an extreme racist and all-around ass, and he’s still there? His wife isn’t head of HR anymore. Who’s protecting him now?
Or, this women could have just pulled over and said, Hi, Officer, what seems to get the problem?” But, that would be the civilized thing to do.
So maybe we’re not going to use her for our video “How to Behave When Pulled Over By The Police.” On the other hand, she got hysterical when she saw that he was holding a gun (not the taser) – granted, it was pointed at the ground. What he was supposed to do in that situation is what he was trained to do – DESCALATE. He did the opposite.