NPDF FUND FOR PA POLICE OFFICER PROSECUTED IN SOUTH WHITEHALL SHOOTING

[ett]

First; I have no relation to anyone involved in the following.
I just thought the following should be shared

I wanted to post in either the thread about positive police stories or the thread about this exact encounter in July 2018.
But I could not find either of those threads.

Anyway; here's one of the news stories about the encounter.
https://www.pennlive.com/news/2018/0...lice_acro.html

I thought that officer in that shooting was completely justified in his actions.
Just today I received printed copy of The Lehigh Valley Commentator Winter 2020.
And in it was a letter to the editor from the sister of the officer is this shooting.
In that letter; in addition to talking about the shooting, how her brother in being criminally charged, and how South Whitehall Township police do not have an organization that can provide funds for the officer's legal defense. She also states where people can send tax deductible contributions that can help him.

Here is that fund

NPDF FUND FOR PA POLICE OFFICER PROSECUTED IN SOUTH WHITEHALL SHOOTING
https://npdf1.org/npdf-fund-for-pa-p...n-pa-shooting/

NPDF FUND FOR PA POLICE OFFICER PROSECUTED IN SOUTH WHITEHALL SHOOTING
DATE: March 8, 2019

TO: NPDF Members& Supporters
Police Association Presidents

FROM: Joseph Occhipinti, Executive Director
National Police Defense Foundation

SUBJECT: Plight of South Whitehall Twp. Police Officer Jonathan Roselle

** CORRECTION: The National Police Defense Foundation previously reported that the shooting occurred at an amusement park in Allentown, PA, when in fact the shooting did not occur inside the amusement park’s premises. **

The National Police Defense Foundation (NPDF), a congressionally recognized and IRS designated non-profit organization, would like to bring to your attention the plight of South Whitehall Twp. (PA) Police Officer Jonathan Roselle. The officer has been fired and criminally charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection with highly-publicized police shooting that took place in the summer of 2018 in South Whitehall Township.

Since, his department’s officers are not members of any national police union, there is no organization to provide funds for the officer’s legal defense. It is for that reason and the concerns that Roselle’s prosecution appears politically motivated, the NPDF has set up P.O. Jonathan Roselle Legal Defense Fund.

BACKGROUND ON POLICE OFFICER ROSELLE

Officer Roselle had worked as a patrolman for the department for seven months following his completion of the Allentown Police Academy. Prior to that he served nine years on active duty in the U.S. Army, including over seven months in Afghanistan. He left active duty at the rank of Captain. At the time of the incident he was a major in the Pennsylvania National Guard, and was Operations Officer, third in command of a battalion of over 800 soldiers.

SYNOPSIS OF NPDF INVESTIGATION

On the afternoon of July 28, 2018, Officer Jonathan Roselle of the South Whitehall Township Police Department in Pennsylvania was watching traffic when a terrified woman pulled up next to him. She was screaming hysterically that a man had just tried to force his way into her car with her in it (a carjacking and possible kidnapping). The woman told Roselle that the man was trying to do the same thing to other drivers. Roselle turned on his lights and headed down the street where he could see the man (Joseph Santos) hanging on the side of a moving car, which accelerated to throw Santos off. As Santos walked toward the police car, he made a gesture; pointing two fingers first at his own eyes and then at Roselle (e.g., “I’m looking at you”). Roselle took this as a threat by Santos. Santos then approached the police car and began banging on the driver’s side window. Roselle could see that Santos’ hands and arms were bleeding. Given Santos’ threatening behavior, and not knowing whether Santos was armed, Roselle drew his handgun and ordered Santos multiple times to get away from his car. Santos ignored these commands. Roselle called for backup.

Santos eventually moved to the front of the police car and climbed up onto the car’s hood. Santos was very muscular and was bleeding from his arms and/or hands. Santos began pounding on the car’s windshield and after a few blows the car’s dashboard camera was knocked out of its mounting and fell into the car. Roselle accelerated slightly and swerved the car to slide Santos off the car’s hood. Roselle then put out another radio call, advising that Santos was covered in blood and was attacking his police car, he said he would stay in the car until backup arrived.

Before any other officers arrived however, Santos began to walk away from the police car, Roselle believed Santos posed a significant danger to the many pedestrians in the area, as well as to people in the slow-moving vehicles watching the events unfold. Roselle then stepped out of his police car with his service pistol drawn and ordered Santos multiple times in a loud voice to get down on the ground. Instead of following Roselle’s commands, Santo came walking briskly toward the officer. Roselle says he found Santos’ behavior particularly threatening, as Santos was now coming directly toward him and ignoring his repeated commands, even though he had his service pistol pointed at Santos.

Roselle was standing near the open door of his police car as Santos continued toward him in defiance of the repeated commands at gunpoint to get on the ground. When Santos got about 10-15 feet from Roselle, Roselle realized that he had a fraction of a second before Santos would be on top of him. Roselle feared that Santos may have had a concealed weapon or would try to disarm the officer of his own pistol. At that point Roselle fired 5 shots at Santos; striking him with all 5. He stopped firing when he saw Santos falling to the ground and realized he was no longer a threat. Santos fell with his head only a few feet from the officer. The first backup officer arrived approximately one minute after the shooting. Santos was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Roselle says Santos appeared to have superhuman strength; was physically bigger than the officer; seemed impervious to pain; and appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance and/or mentally imbalanced. Roselle believed that if Santos got to him, Santos could very likely disarm him and then kill the officer and use the pistol against others. Retreating would have given Santos access to the police car, which contained a 12-gauge shotgun and an AR-15 rifle. Toxicology reports, completed after Roselle was charged, indicate Santos was under the influence of heroin, morphine, codeine, and other controlled substances at the time of the incident.

NPDF ESTABLISHES LEGAL DEFENSE FUND

The NPDF urges all its members and supporters to make a tax-deductible donation to Officer Roselle’s legal fund where no administrative fees will be taken from the contributions to administer the fund.
Officer Roselle Legal Defense Fund

You can also call 888-SAFE COP to make your donation, or mail it to the NPDF headquarters located at
21 Kilmer Drive, Bldg.
2-Suite F
Morganville, New Jersey 07751.

Major credit cards are accepted.

Joseph Occhipinti
Founder & Executive Director

[Hodgie]

I remember this. Didn’t the guy flip out In Dorney Park 1st then jump the fence onto the highway and go nuts?

I guess it’s the Allentown prosecutor charging him with murder?

[S&W19]

But Santos was a good guy. He was just trying to get someone to give him a ride to choir practice. He was turning his life around.

[ett]

I remember this. Didn’t the guy flip out In Dorney Park 1st then jump the fence onto the highway and go nuts?

I guess it’s the Allentown prosecutor charging him with murder?

Yes; the guy did flip out In Dorney Park 1st then jump the fence onto the highway and go nuts. (At least that's what was reported at the time.)
Have no idea who or which legal authority is prosecuting him. Wouldn't it be the County prosecutor ??

[Hodgie]

Yes; the guy did flip out In Dorney Park 1st then jump the fence onto the highway and go nuts. (At least that's what was reported at the time.)
Have no idea who or which legal authority is prosecuting him. Wouldn't it be the County prosecutor ??

I wasn't sure how Allentown/South Whitehall is split up. I guess that area is Lehigh County.

[Sblzrd65]

They don't have any sort of insurance to cover things like this?

[Royinmontco]

They don't have any sort of insurance to cover things like this?

You'd think the union would pick up the slack. Even my dinky little local department has union contracts (from what I understand, at least.... could be wrong).

[OwnTheRide]

You'd think the union would pick up the slack. Even my dinky little local department has union contracts (from what I understand, at least.... could be wrong).

I read in another article that that PD does not have a union, hence why they don't have insurance.

(Apparently, unions - not PDs - buy the insurance for their members)

[Royinmontco]

I read in another article that that PD does not have a union, hence why they don't have insurance.

(Apparently, unions - not PDs - buy the insurance for their members)

Probably a good reason to carry professional insurance....

[Daycrawler]

I read in another article that that PD does not have a union, hence why they don't have insurance.

(Apparently, unions - not PDs - buy the insurance for their members)

This is why they need to belong to the FOP. Insurance, lawyers and lots of financial backup. I feel bad for the guy, IMO he did the right, however, the current liberal system wants to hang Police officer's because its the in thing to prosecute.