He said he was asked to leave the diner by Moore. Uncomfortable footage of the encounter was posted on Twitter over the weekend, with virtually every commentator noting how the uniformed officer appeared to be inebriated. Vandergrift police Chief Joe Caporali had said Moore was responding to a 911 call reporting that a Black man was smoking marijuana outside the restaurant. "I'm the only black dude in there. He did not give a timeframe for when the investigation would be completed. Last week, Mayor Barb Turiak confirmed to TribLive that Moore had been removed from duty on paid leave while the incident was being internally investigated. Do you understand that? Moore says. Vandergrift police chief Joseph Caporali issued the following statement to Pittsburgh's Action News 4 on Monday: As a result of this encounter, allegations of possible misconduct of this officer are taken very seriously and the matter is under investigation. Shop Our Favorite February Amazon Deals Before the Sales End, The 14 Best Mineral Sunscreens of 2023, According to Pros, 14 TikTok-Famous Cleaning Products That Actually Work, According to Our Experts, 14 Best Healthier Candy Alternatives of 2023, According to Taste Tests. Tamara Simpson Tuesday, April 3, 2007 12:00 a.m. | Tuesday, April 3, . Yeah, because you were the one smoking weed, Moore replied. Moore is currently on paid leave, according to TribLIVE. The Virginia State Police Trooper who was filmed giving a Black driver an "ass whooping" has been fired. I'm tired of your attitude.". Moore is one of eight full-time officers in Vandergrift and a 20-year veteran of the department. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Officer William Moore. The video had more than 600,000 views April 25. Notice the officer doesnt say that hes been called because of a crime, or even an alleged crime; he just says that hes been called because of Townsend, who is Black. A Pennsylvania cop is under fire for allegedly "racially profiling" a Black man at a diner. Officer William Moore's unpaid suspension took effect. THIS IS ONE OF THE VIDEOS G&G RESTAURANT CUSTOMER MARCUS TOWNSEND RECORDED ON SATURDAY SHOWING HIS ENCOUNTER WITH VANDERGRIFF POLICE OFFICER. According to WPXI-TV, Marcus Townsend was eating at G&G Restaurant in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania on April 17 with his girlfriend and their service dog when the police official approached them. He then requests a full criminal history report for Townsend. This is a racial profiling story and Im trying to get into character.). Shop sales in every category.Uh-oh, overstock: Wayfair put their surplus on sale for up to 50% off. I would like to tell every single one of our friends and customers to always be kind and to always strive to morally be the best that you can be.. Les mercredis, vendredis et samedis, le reste de lanne, de 9h30 12h30, et de 13h30 17h30. Officer William Moores unpaid suspension took effect Tuesday and will last four weeks, into early July. SO THATS UP TO THE POLICE STATION AND ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE TO DO THEIR JOB. Residents complain about several Vandergrift Police. A Legacy of Service. He believes the officer was in the wrong, and wants it investigated. If I can leave with anything, I would like to tell every single one of our friends and customers to always keep in the back of their mind to always be kind and to always strive to morally be the best that you can be. The report was transferred to the Gilpin police department, which filed the charges. Vandergrift police chief Joseph Caporali issued the following statement to Pittsburgh's Action News 4 on Monday: "As a result of this encounter, allegations of possible misconduct of this. Jeffrey Vandergrift known as "JV" on the Bay area's Wild 94.9 hit music station was last seen at his San Francisco home around 10 p.m. Thursday, according to a missing persons report that listed him as "at-risk.". According to WPXI-TV, Marcus Townsend was eating at G&G Restaurant in. Everyone who knows me knows that I dont care whether youre white, brown, or tan.. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Moore, 53, was removed from the schedule pending an investigation into the incident, Mayor Barb Turiak told TribLive. The video was viewed well over one million times and sparked outraged by people who accused Moore of being drunk on the job based on his conduct and speech. "Townsend said he went to the restaurant with his girlfriend and service dog, Diamond. He was previously put on paid leave in 2017 after being charged with assaulting and harassing a 14-year-old boy. The screen then went dark, but when it resumed, Townsend conceded and gave Moore his I.D. This is not the first time Moore has been placed on paid leave. He was there Saturday morning with his girlfriend and service dog, but said things took a turn when police showed up. Thats not right, sir, and its all being recorded, the man says. Moore responded, Oh yeah, cause I just dont like Black people. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved, Report: Arconic in talks about potential sale, Suspect charged with threatening to kill New Kensington victims if they testified against him, On one of region's steepest roads, Aspinwall's Run for the Hill of It benefits emergency services, Bayer grant boosts food access at Salvation Army in Brackenridge, Greensburg, GZA, Donnie Iris, John Mayer among top concerts to see around Pittsburgh in March, How officials cracked case of eyedrops that blinded people. "They asked me the same question, how you feel about it. The officer responds, "oh yeah, that's racial profiling." You can watch the video of the incident here or later in this post. Joyce Hanz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. I am in no way insinuating that the officer was drunk. Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. As mayor, one of her duties is overseeing the police department. Per court papers the incident, which was also caught on video, shows Moore grabbing the boy by his arm and placing his hand over the boy's mouth; a bystander had to pull Moore's hand from the boy's face. In a . I wasn't doing nothing. Someone reportedly called the police to G&G Restaurant in Vandergrift, Pa., because Vandergrift doesnt sound like a place where Black people are welcomed (I didnt Google the population so please dont comment bomb me about how Vandergrift was founded by slaves. "Townsend posted the videos to Facebook which were shared hundreds of times before they were taken down.Townsend accused the officer of racial profiling. And it's sad at the end of the day you know. No nothing like that," he said. The simple assault counts were misdemeanors, along with two of the counts of harassment. The borough launched its internal investigation following an April 17 incident in which Moore responded to a Westmoreland County 911 call reporting that a Black male was smoking marijuana outside of G&G Restaurant. I wasn't doing nothing. Officer William Moore confronted the customer at G and G Restaurant.. The video shows Officer William Moore confronting a man after receiving a report about a Black male smoking marijuana. En labsence dune assignation comparatre, dune conformit volontaire de la part de votre fournisseur daccs internet ou denregistrements supplmentaires provenant dune tierce partie, les informations stockes ou extraites cette seule fin ne peuvent gnralement pas tre utilises pour vous identifier. Townsend accused the officer of racial profiling. Once the review is finished, the. Vandergrift Police Department. At the time, he was at his home . The exchange was captured by the alleged victim, Marcus Townsend. What started out as a simple act of kindness to honor a police officer who recently passed away has caused quite a stir in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, after borough council voted to have a banner . No, I dont have to give you ID, the man replies. WELL BECAUSE I GOT CALLED HERE FOR YOU FOR WHAT? Du mardi au samedi durant les vacances scolaires de toutes les zones. Deputy Carlos Lopez went missing for nearly an hour following the crash at Pico Canyon Road and Southern Oaks Drive in Stevenson Ranch . No nothing like that, he told the news station. Drunk Cop? On newly released body camera footage, an Aurora police officer describes a colleague, who is passed out drunk at the wheel of his unmarked car in the middle. Moore was also accused of assaulting the boy a second time in the same case. Vento's Pizza, home of 'Franco's Italian Army,' to close, Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. Townsend can be heard asking the officer why hes being bothered by the officer, who appears to be slurring his words and doing that one-word answer thing that people do when they are drunk. 'Cause I just don't like Black people!" Townsend said he still patronizes G&G Restaurant and goes there almost daily. Doctors dont know everything. During the meal, he was approached. "Whenever she got up and took the dog home that's when he started, you know, talking about, I smell weed, we came over here about weed, you were smoking dope outside, and I was like, no, I wasn't smoking. Officer. After that, he said Moore asked him about smoking marijuana, which he denied. "For him to come straight to me," said Townsend. The camera cut, and Townsend, Moore, and another office reappeared, now standing outside, and the young man continued to ask why hes being asked for his identification and to stay outside. I got called here for you and I'm asking for your identification. "Get up and go outside. SATURDAY THAT HE WAS AT HIS TABLE WHEN THE OFFICER FIRST APPROACHED HIM ABOUT THEIR SERVICE DOG AND THEN BROUGHT UP THE MARIJUANA. If I can leave with anything, I would like to tell every single one of our friends and customers to always keep in the back of their mind to always be kind and to always strive to morally be the best that you can be.". Seems like HE is the only one in this situation with a criminal record.. This is part 2 of drunk Officer William Moore with the Vandergrift Police in PA racially profiling an innocent Black man Moore orders Townsend to show his ID, and Townsend correctly notes that he doesn't have to show his freedom papers ID to an officer just because it's been asked for. Just as he got inside, he said an officer with the Vandergrift police department approached him, and asked to see the service papers for the dog. Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. That's when the officer gets on his radio and asks to run Townsend's ID. Officer William Moore, a 20-year veteran of the force has been removed from duty with pay as an investigation is underway. He said he doesnt have legal counsel and added he was not smoking marijuana on the day of the incident outside of the restaurant. TV Q&A: Is a Pittsburgher writing for CBSs East New York? In an interview in June, he denied he had been smoking marijuana outside the restaurant. He later pleaded guilty to the harassment charges. "It was just a big ordeal that he wanted me out of the store, basically that's what he wanted from the jump," he said. The confrontation took place at G&G Restaurant in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, April 17, when authorities responded to a call that someone was smoking marijuana outside the establishment. When asked by school employees how he got the injury, he said it was from an altercation with Moore. READ NEXT: Hilary Langlois: Virginia Woman Tells Neighbor Shes Not the Right Color, Officer William Moore: Pennsylvania Police Officer Investigated Over Video, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. A popular and longtime San Francisco radio DJ disappeared four days ago after writing an alarming Instagram post. In 2017, he was accused of assaulting and threatening a 14-year-old boy. Hilary Langlois: Virginia Woman Tells Neighbor Shes Not the Right Color. Our entire goal is for every person visiting our restaurant to be able to enjoy their entire experience and for us to serve our community. A bystander pulled Moores hand from the boys face, court documents said. Townsend alleged that Moore first approached him about the dog, and his girlfriend left with the dog to avoid causing an issue. "Get up and go outside. Townsend interjected. Yeah, I dont like Black people. He continued to shout into the camera, Its like that out here. He already had what he wanted to do in the first place so I was just sitting there taking the rap for the whole mess.". According to court papers, the incident with the boy somehow was caught on video and, police say, Moore can be seen grabbing the boy by his arm and placing his hand over the boy's mouth. "It was just a big ordeal that he wanted me out of the store, basically that's what he wanted from the jump," he said. They cited alleged harassment, threats, illegal entry to residences and assault. "I just want people to realize that situations like this are going to happen at the end of the day, this whole Black Lives Matter thing, it's a real thing and I understand stuff like that but we just gotta filter out the bad cops and that's their job and everybody else's job. Footage of a white police officer allegedly "racially profiling" a Black man at a local diner has gone viral online. Screengrab/Twitter Townsend denied smoking marijuana. An outside investigation found that then-Chief Deputy Fred Mathis was likely intoxicated but cleared . White People, Here's Why We Need Black History Month, This Book Aims To Arm Kids With The Tools To Fight Racism, White Supremacist Couple Attempted To Destroy Baltimore's Power Grid. Vandergrift Police Chief Joe Caporali refused to comment on Moores return, citing a personnel matter. The officer is off schedule until conclusion of this investigation at which time Vandergrift Borough Council will take appropriate action.. The exchange began when the white officer approached the Black man claiming he had been called into the. HE POSTED SEVERAL VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT WENT VIRAL. A Pennsylvania cop is under fire after a video clip of him allegedly racially profiling a young Black man at a local diner went viral. THE VANDERGRIFF POLICE CHIEF TELLS ME THE OFFICER INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN TAKEN OFF OF THE SCHEDULE UNTIL AN INVESTIGATION IS COMPLETE. Moore also declined to comment about his reinstatement. When Moore checked in to see if anything could be pulled up on Townsend, he was told negative. The meeting ended moments later. "Racial profiling," Townsend mutters, half to himself, only to be trumpeted by Moore across the restaurant. He was also reportedly suspended in 2018 for unknown reasons.. Moore was on leave by the following Monday, the newspaper reported. Public figure Michael Maloney posted on Twitter, I hope the Borough of Vandergrift, PA permanently removes this drunk and racist police officer from the force. Thats not fair.. thats not right, Townsend expressed. THIS IS CRAZY TO ME MAN. In the clip, Vandergrift Police Department officer William Moore, a white man, told Townsend that he was there for him. Fair use protections are central to many non-profit and education projects, especially those that operate in digital and online spaces. William Moore, 49, of Route 66, Gilpin, is charged with two . The decision was made Monday after council emerged from behind closed doors following an executive session lasting 20 to 30 minutes. Le stockage ou laccs technique est strictement ncessaire dans la finalit dintrt lgitime de permettre lutilisation dun service spcifique explicitement demand par labonn ou lutilisateur, ou dans le seul but deffectuer la transmission dune communication sur un rseau de communications lectroniques. When the 20-year-old asked what he did, Moore proceeded to ask him for proof of identification. IM ASKING YOU I GOT CALLED HERE FOR YOU, AND IM ASKING YOUR IDENTIFICATION SIR WITHOUT YOU CALL VANDERGRIFT POLICE CHIEF. Ronald R. Retsch, an attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police Allegheny Valley Lodge 39, also declined to comment. The man asks Moore to call his superior officer, to which Moore responds that he is a superior officer. 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