Philadelphia Police public affairs confirms that Lt.
Jonathan Josey got his job back after being fired by the Philadelphia Police
Department after amateur video surfaced of him striking a woman during a Puerto
Rican Day Parade post party last fall.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey stood by his
decision to fire Josey."Just the rationale for having dismissed him - the
video, the paperwork that was left," Ramsey said. "I'll go over
everything in the process that I used to come to that decision."
Ramsey has yet to comment on Josey's reinstatement.
Back in October, cell phone video surfaced showing Josey
striking a woman at the Festival de la Americas following the Philadelphia
Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sept. 30. The video received more than 1.5 million
views on YouTube.
The incident happened near Fifth and Lehigh streets in North
Philadelphia, after the parade on the Parkway. Parade organizers say they had
nothing to do with the North Philadelphia event.
Officials say Aida Guzman of Chester, was spraying silly
string at officers involved in a traffic stop when she was hit by Josey. Her
face was bleeding as officers took her away. Guzman was cited for disorderly
conduct but the charge was subsequently dropped.
At a one-day, non-jury trial before Dugan earlier this
month, Josey testified he thought Guzman had thrown beer on him. He said he
told her to put down the bottle and then swung in an attempt to knock it from
her hand. Guzman has said she didn't throw any liquid, but she did shoot aerosol
string into the crowd.
Josey's reinstatement doesn't come as a big surprise. About
90 percent of Philadelphia police officers fired for wrongdoing find their way
back onto the force.