A protest is planned Monday afternoon by an Allentown community group to express its disapproval of the Allentown Police Department’s handling of an alleged brutality incident.
Black Lives Matter to Lehigh Valley set up the protest in response to a citizen video that surfaced Saturday showing a city police officer kneeling on a man’s neck to subdue him. The incident was just before 7 p.m. Saturday outside St. Luke’s Sacred Heart Campus at 421 W. Chew St. in Allentown.
The officer uses the same method of restraint that killed George Floyd in Minnesota.
Black Lives Matter to Lehigh Valley obtained the video and posted it on Twitter.
Police Chief Glenn Granitz said the man was behaving erratically, yelling and screaming. He spit on police and medical workers, the chief said in a prepared statement issued Sunday night.
He said police tried to restrain the man and everyone fell down. Because the man was “noncompliant” officers restrained him and the hospital applied a spit shield, Granitz said.
Black Lives Matter to Lehigh Valley founder Justan Parker said Sunday that Granitz’s explanation doesn’t justify the level of force used.
“The statement wasn’t really a statement. We’re still unclear about a lot: The officers involved, the victim, their treatment, etc. We need this information,” Parker said in an email Monday.
Granitz said the Lehigh County District Attorney’s office is investigating the matter. A spokeswoman for that office said Monday that District Attorney James Martin will comment when his investigation concludes. Granitz said an internal use-of-force investigation also continues.
The Black Lives Matter protest is planned for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at Seventh and Hamilton streets in Allentown.
“The protest was going to happen regardless in my opinion. Direct response to the disregard of the use of force policy,” Parker added in his email Monday.
“Allentown has been put on notice!” the post says on Facebook. The group will march to Fourth and Hamilton streets, the notice says.
The group asks police to stay away.
“We are asking that all law enforcement DO NOT attend a police Brutality and culture protest that you have contributed to,” the notice says. Granitz didn’t return a call to lehighvalleylive.com seeking comment on that request.
Tentative speakers include Rodney Bush from the community group Power Lehigh Valley, Arthur Benson from Action Town Activists, Alex Colon and Vic Laboy.
“It’s now or never...,” the notice says.
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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. If there’s anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.