A 12-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, Richard Nicoletti, 35, is being railroaded.
The train’s engineer is the Dudley Do-Right of the Far Left, Philly D.A. Larry Krasner, whose idea of law enforcement is to persecute law enforcers. Lefty Larry is assisted by craven Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, who is an accessory to the supposed “crime” Nicoletti is accused of committing. It’s like a road-show version of “The Lady and the Tramp,” with Outlaw as the Lady.
The charges against Nicoletti flow from an June 1 incident when protestors swarmed I-676, illegally stopping traffic, creating disorder and committing vandalism. Under orders given by Deputy Commissioner Dennis Wilson, Nicoletti used pepper spray on three protestors, who were sitting on the expressway.
Nicoletti pulled down their face masks to use the spray because the protestors were wearing eye protection to thwart the spray. Pulling down protective gear is part of SWAT training, I am told by an officer who requested anonymity, as well as Nicoletti’s attorney, Fortunato Perri, Jr. But it “looked” bad.
Most media accounts described the protestors as “peaceful,” which was true for the three who were sprayed. The mass media usually neglected to mention that while the trio was peaceful, they were breaking the law. Police were ordered to clear the highway.
Before his police service in the SWAT unit, Nicoletti was an Army Ranger who had been deployed three times to Afghanistan and Iraq, and is expecting his first child in the fall. Prior to his election as D.A., Krasner was a defense attorney who had sued the police department dozens of times. On the night of his primary election victory, his supporters chanted, “F—- the police,” and “No good cops in a racist system.”
His anti-cop disposition led Krasner to file these criminal charges against Nicoletti: simple assault, reckless endangerment, official oppression, and — get this — possession of an instrument of crime.
What? Instrument of crime? You mean the pepper spray?
Yes, the pepper spray that was issued by the police department.
If PPD is issuing “instruments of crime,” shouldn’t Krasner arrest Outlaw? She was in charge.
Official oppression? Nicoletti was obeying the orders of his superior, Perri points out. In an insult to police, Americans and Jews, Krasner says that the Nuremberg trials showed that following orders is not a defense.
But it is, when the orders are legal, as these were. No one disputes that clearing an illegally blocked highway is legal.
“The mayor and the police commissioner authorized the use of tear gas and pepper spray and then abruptly toward the end of June, they apologized for that plan,” says Perri. “At this point, Officer Nicoletti finds himself charged with crimes when his actions were justified under the law.”
Use of pepper spray and tear gas are traditional and legal forms of crowd control. “Anytime you have to use force, it looks bad,” says a police source.
The charges of simple assault and official oppression make a mockery of the law. Is Krasner so deluded that he thinks he can get 12 jurors to rubber stamp his insanity?
Outlaw and Mayor Jim Kenney first backed the police, then did a 180 and condemned the use of chemical agents. Outlaw said she was “disgusted” by its use.
Was she disgusted when she gave permission for police to use tear gas in Portland? She approved the use of chemical agents to break up rioting in the city she served before arriving here. She was criticized by some for that decision, which may have left her a little gun shy. Pun intended.
In a startling development, Deputy Commission Dennis Wilson, the tactical commander of the operation, demoted himself after Kenney and Outlaw apologized for using the legal chemicals to break up the illegal blockage of the major artery.
When was the last time you heard of a police commander demoting himself?
Outlaw’s leadership premise seems to be, “The buck stops just short of me.” If what happened was wrong, Outlaw should be demoted, or at least order herself to work from the Roundhouse or her car, rather than from home. Instead, she accepted Wilson’s demotion and fired Nicoletti. That will go to arbitration and if there is any justice, Nicoletti will be returned to duty.
Aside from his knee-jerk antipathy to cops, could anything else explain Krasner’s actions?
Yes, writes A. Benjamin Mannes on BigTrial.net. There is Nicoletti’s father, also named Richard, and also a Philadelphia cop.
“Krasner represented the decedent in a completely unrelated police shooting involving the elder Nicoletti,” writes Mannes.
Isn’t that interesting?
The entire mess could have been avoided, says one police source. A week before Outlaw was to arrive on Feb. 10, Deputy Commissioner Joseph Sullivan, who had been interviewed for the top cop job, suddenly resigned.
Sullivan, as head of patrol, had the smarts, tactical experience and contacts to have resolved the highway issue, says one police source. But he retired, feeling he had been devalued.
So the enforcement turned into a hot mess and a blameless SWAT officer got shot in the back by his boss, and railroaded by a demented D.A.
Stu, biggest mistake the City made was not promoting DC Sullivan. They placed political correctness over the safety and well being of the citizens of this city. I was assigned to Troop K for many years and worked closely with PPD and DC Sullivan and as a result of this the working relationship between PSP and PPD during major events and situations was such that I truly believe none of this would have happened to the extent that it did. PC Outlaw may be a decent human being, I don’t know her one way or another, but she is completely out of her depth here and sooner or later she will get a cop killed by her decisions. There are just no words for Krasner. He is a despicable human beings.
Couldn’t agree more
Absolutely. Outlaw is clueless and worthless. A rubber-stamp to Kenney, who is a spineless fool.
The idiots running this city, from Krasner to Kenney, seem to really have a problem with Americans of Italian descent…everything from statues of Columbus who is an ethnic hero to Italian-Americans, to several police officers of Italian heritage.
Isn’t that bigotry? Or does it not count since Italian-Americans are white?🤔
The entire country is out of control with placing every action by police under a microscope. Instead they are applauding the actions of rioters, looters, vandalism and the removal of statues and erasing America’s history. Clueless youth and misguided adults. This police officer should be reinstating. Pepper spray is not an instrument of crime!!!
Regarding the I-676 tear gas incident, I wonder if the permit to protest included marching onto the I-676 highway. If not on the permit, then the organizers for that protest conducted an illegal march onto the expressway. Are these protest leaders being investigated for reckless endangering another person ? There is also an insurance requirement for special event permits that was probably waived by the Mayor’s Office.
If it were legal, their lawyers would have said so. They have not.
There was no permit to march on 676 and the City cannot grant that anyway as it is a State Highway. Their presence on the 676 was illegal.
Coming from a family with police officers in it as well as knowing quite a few besides that I am beyond outraged at the actions of Krasner Kenney and outlaw they all should be removed from their positions and put on trial none of them have our best interests at heart and for all their behaviors they should be in jail. They go after people for the littest bullshit thing yet they have closets full of skeletons they are hiding.
This is a great article. The SWAT unit was literally thrown under the bus by their Commissioner and this heartless Mayor. In addition, it is my understanding that the 3 peaceful protesters that were sitting on the road were not so peaceful before they decided to take a seat on the highway. Also, isn’t sitting on the highway a form of resistance when you were peacefully asked by officers to vacate the premise? Things need to change in this city. Krasner is a disgrace. This is all retaliation because Krasner could not prosecute Nicoletti’s father he is going after the son. Deputy Sullivan was a great asset to the city and he is sorely missed, but trust that he developed others to do exactly what he did, but unfortunately under the current leadership they are not allowed to perform their duties.
What was that officer to do? He was ordered to clear the street. These 3 violates the law by kneeling in the street. The officer’s only other option was to drag these fools off the highway. He chose the path of least violence, tear gas or pepper spray. However, these folks wore masks to neutralize the effect of the gas( not for COVID protection I am sure. So the officer lifted the mask and gave them a quick shot of gas. This allowed him to get them off the street. Would his commander been pleased if he told him that he asked the people to leave bu they refused. Put me on that jury!
Outlaw is a stooge for Krasner who is one of the biggest scumbags in America.I suspect he is highly paid by ANTIFA and other radical anarchist organizations.I also agree with a previous reply.He should be charged with bigotry against Italian Americans.
Kenny is a spineless tool
Krasner is a bigger criminal thean the scum he represents
Outlaw is just plain and simple a dope. Incompetent!
Can’t we just dox lefty larry? Would love to protest at his house
I don’t approve of attacking at home under most circumstances.
HAPPY SATURDAY !!!
Stu, I’m glad that we didn’t have these conversations twenty years ago. When the families would get together for a Sunday picnic. we would have a unique list of professions. Quite a few served in the military, which led to careers in law enforcement and fire safety. Then we have the few that went into law, medical and construction. Me being married to an attorney and choosing construction. The rest of the family did everything that Philly had to offer. Most definitely, there were a lot of debates, discussions, and one or two fabrications.
The point: We all worked for what we achieved. We were taught this by our parentS, and we in turn, taught the same to our children. Nobody deserves the the country that is in this terrible state of affairs. The protesters and agitators are the result of a system that has been in development for fifty years. Their parents ( if they actually had parents ) or a part of some misguided thought process.
The current administration is most definitely anti-cop and anti-law. They are being led down the socialist path by the money people. George Soros, in particular. People like these, never cared about the people of the world. They use them as you would a horse to pull a wagon. We are just a means to their ends !
The solution: FIGHT BACK ! Get off your butts. Shut off the T.V> and get out their and organize against this insanity. Your party affiliation doesn’t matter, if you care about people be treated like human beings .
Tony
Tony, you have mentioned many times before about protesters. Are you saying people do not have the right to “peaceful” protesting against something they feel is wrong?
No, HB. We’ve been over this broken record many times . OUR constitution guaranties that, and many other rights. PERIOD ! I believe that the word PEACEFUL is in there some place. What many people are missing about Philly, is that you only need a permit ( usually ) when you contradict Mr. Kenny. You will never get a permit to shut down a major highway. PERIOD . That is an unlawful everything and everyone should be given ONE opportunity to disband. Having followed S.O.P., start arresting EVERYBODY ! They already broke the law by refusing an order. They’re now breaking more laws if they’re still there. If some restraint is obligated, so be it. Personally, I would not appreciate being maced or pepper sprayed or any of the old methods ever again. FORGET ABOUT GETTING ZAPPED ! I’m too old for violent confrontation with some one 1/3rd my age !
So what part of “peaceful demonstration don’t you under stand ? If you have an opportunity, there is an video of antifa pointing lasers at the Feds. This criminal organozation is now upping their game. They have used bottles filled with gas, etc thrown threw broken windows, followed by fireworks. BOOM ! They have lined up information and sighted in on their targets with lasers ! BLINDING ! They have brought weapons to the fight !
Me being one with a short temper. Surround the area with OUR troops. Anyone captured gets their picture taken and their I.D. recorded. No charges unless warranted. If charges are brought, you hit them with the criminal code as hard and as often as you can ! This may be legally questionable, BUT, somehow illegal protesting gets their just rewards .
Tony
Tony, I appreciate your comments. I do not believe you and I have ever debated about protesting. Please let me clarify… I do not care if the protesters are from the Left or the Right as long as it is peaceful. I see problems with permits for several reasons which I will not go into right now.
Where I have a real problem is when agitators, whose true viewpoints are totally opposite the protesters, insert themselves in otherwise peaceful protests to make the protesters look bad. I am sure there are right-wingers trying to make the Left look bad and left-wingers trying to make the Right look bad.
H,
All true. BUT, once the first stone is thrown, it’s no longer peaceful. When the line is drawn in the sand, then it WILL NOT be crossed.
You do not kneel with the sympathizers . You do not show any emotion toward those that wish to protest. I will stand with the law. Do not touch me. Do not harrass me. Do not present yourself as a challenge to me. You get only one warning.
You read my statement concerning arrests. I stand by it. I back the BLUE !
Tony
Tony, what I hear you saying is, and please correct me if I am incorrect, both sides can effectively stop ALL protests. The Right can stop the protests of the Left by simply infiltrating and causing trouble and vice versa.
Since you believe in peaceful protesting what do you think should be done so that everybody’s right to protest, which as you acknowledged is guaranteed under our Constitution, is not lost?
Larry Krasner ????……….Isn`t he in charge of the Deficient Attorney`s Orifice ?
That’s him, lol
Larry Krasner is a despicable human being. Unfortunately, he is backed by George Soros and will easily be re-elected. Let ’em loose Larry is single-handedly ruining the safety of the city. He killed any morale that was left in the department. Good luck getting new recruits to replace those retiring sooner than expected.
Maybe not “easily.” What “we” need is ONE primary opponent who is not a smacked ass. Chuck Peruto may be willing and I would endorse him.
For those who have seen this poem before, forgive me, (though one or two updates!) But it is just as relevant to Stu’s topic as it was on two previous ones. With as much sarcasm as I can muster, This Is:
The American Left
“We’re The Left…Hi there neighbor! Vote for us, we’ll return the favor.
We’re always looking out for your health. We band smoking on the beach, and tax soda by the ounce.
And if you like crime, don’t worry about jail, in Philly the DA will pay your bail. And now that the cops are the enemy, help yourselves
the options are aplenty.
To hell with innocents caught
in cross fire. Our bleeding
hearts provide lots of cover.
And if an illegal on the run, California’s bigger, enjoy the sun!
And let those “peaceful” protest
for George Who!? We fooled them once more, that’s what we do.
We take from the rich as much as we can, and tax the hell out of corporations.
Besides who cares that it’s wrong, when you’re getting back what’s yours all along.
And If illegal drugs is your hoot, head back to Philly, there’s a place to shoot!
We’re in the east coast, the west coast and everywhere between. ‘Heaven Now’ is our motto to fulfill all your needs.
This is just the beginning and don’t you forget, we’re getting much bolder as we drift further left.
In about ( ten years???) or so, if you vote left we’ll have attained our goal.
Oh! But there is one thing I haven’t said, if AOC’s right, we’ll all be dead!!
But just in case that lady’s wrong, Vote for Bernie now Biden, you can’t go wrong!!
100% agreed!
All 3 officials are a DISGRACE to this city and its citizens. Not once have I seen or heard praise for one officer and the heroic duties they have succumb to during these so called “peaceful protest “ . No all they got was being thrown under the Bus by the very people who ordered them to use the tear gas. You know they say what goes around comes around and that Karma is a Bitch and I hope all 3 get theirs. #BACKTHEBLUE
As a retired Philadelphia Police Detective with 34 years service along with 6 years in the Military, I never imagined that the day would come when I would be ashamed of my City nor embarrassed for the Police Department. We have a Mayor who has zero idea of what the word “Leadership” means, but he does understand, and practice, “Groveling”. He’s mastered that!
We have a Police Commissioner who is the Public face of the department, but clearly is in over her head. How can any “leader” expect people to follow her when they’re sent into situations every day where they stand a good chance of getting exposed to a possible deadly disease, while she is leading from her living room, self quarantined because she may have been exposed. Who in God’s name leads from their bedroom dressed in PJ’s? Like I said, a public face, when permitted.
And, somehow we have this communist who has the gall to disgrace the office of District Attorney. Only because of the failed leadership of the Democratic Party, (Bob Brady) to back a qualified nominee. If you recall, 10 people ran for the Democratic nomination and the votes were fairly even, with this POS squeaking out the victory in the primary. Hell, with the Democratic nomination, even I could have won the General election in Philadelphia.
Leadership requires the trust of those whom follow you, and with the Three stooges running our city now, the damage, both morally and financial, have set our city back 20+ years. The trust, built up over many years by the Unions, financial investors, small businesses, by the citizens, it’s gone. Tax paying citizens are 2nd class citizens, feeling that their concerns don’t matter because, and the politicians know it, the tax payers will suck it up and do the right thing.
We have a beautiful skyline, with so many businesses, which sadly, probably 75% will either downsize greatly or, more likely relocate to another area, outside of Philadelphia, where their operational costs and taxes will be lower. This pandemic has created an enviorment unlike any seen before, at least in our generation. Because of the failed leadership, across the board, in Philadelphia, we are screwed. .
Well, there were “only” 6 other candidates — most of them left — and Krasner got 38% of the low turnout vote. I believe ONE “law and order” candidate would have won. But the candidates were all fighting who was farthest left. With Soros help, Krasner won.
They were tild they could protest in front of Rizzo statue,city hall,columbus statue but NO highways . They went tried to disrupt traffic durning rush hour leaving drivers in there cars to be sworm by protesters. This was a non leathal way of getting the highway cleared of that trash. If they did go there like they were told not to this wouldn’t. Serves they right. SWAT did a great job. Kenney gave the order to Outlaw who gave it Wilson to use tear gas. Wilson was following his superior officer. Thats what a good officer does. I say bring out the fire hoses.
The first two critical actions that Hitler took after seizing power in Germany are interesting, and bear on what is happening in Philadelphia. Hitler put the police and the courts under his jurisdiction, de facto telling the German people, “The law is what I say it is, and will be enforced as I say it will be.” His co-opting the police and courts led to…well, you know all about the Jews (and homosexuals, and mental deficients, etc. ) and what happened to them as Hitler and his laws and courts turned the screws tighter and tighter — all legally in the new Germany. In Philadelphia you now have a police department under the rule of the DA, and the DA tells the people what HE says the law says. Philadelphia is becoming (?) frightening. Or hadn’t you noticed?
Seattle, Portland, NY, Atlanta and 30 other cities (including Philly)with a pop. over 500,000 have elected a democrat mayor. Why? Not being informed. Every day politics is a part of everyone’s life whether aware of it or not, but the average Joe is too busy living. We have seen the past few months how serious ‘not being informed’ will lead to. Even the well informed. Believing in MSM headlines and broadcast national news sensationalism is a quick way to catch up, but the misinformation and obvious absent of real news in it, is ‘agenda and opinion driven.’
We used to laugh and scoff at the crazy changes taken place in society from the day “They” removed prayer from Public Education in the 50’s to present day radical ideas.
We can laugh all we want at Sleepy Joe and his latest gaffe, but Biden is there only because he was suppose to be the sacrificial lamb (I believe, the dems in control of Biden, expected to lose in Nov. no matter who they picked Our economy was booming. Then a ‘January Surprise’ the virus.
I was once a democrat, but not today’s dem. The party has been infiltrated by the worst!! A one party “democracy” is an oxymoron, and like Vince suggests is where we may be now, or headed!
Kenny is here to stay and probably is eyeing Harrisburg next. Krasner and his kind across the country, as was mentioned, are being funded by Soros. Then there’s one big election (biggly, he might say).
We must vote Trump on Nov 3rd.
To quote DJT, “What do you have to lose?” really has greater significance than when he first said it. The answer is “Everything.”
You seem caught between a rock and a hard place. Me too. I can vote for neither Open Borders Biden and mental Trump.
If responding to me, Stu, no one splains why to vote for ‘The Orange Man’ better than your ‘Pallie,’ Tony.😄
Stu, as I recall, former Deputy Comisssioner Joe Sullivan retired only after he was summoned to Managing Director Brian Abernathy’s office and informed that his services as D/C were no longer required. He was given the option of accepting demotion to Chief Inspector and $30,000 salary reduction. In the face of that ” offer” he chose to retire.
Once again your article is spot on.
http://phillypolice.com/about/leadership/joseph-sullivan/index.html
Damn shame! Don’t you love diversity??
I love diversity like I love dysentery.
If that happened, I am unaware of it. Thanks.