Transit Police

Internal Affairs Investigative

Summary
3 March 2016

Investigative Summary
Administrative in nature
Is not the criminal investigation
Will not affect decision-making regarding
criminal charges

Investigative Summary
Intended on identifying the involved officer
in the investigative summary
An active investigation is ongoing
regarding a threat to the officers life
The names of all Transit Police personnel
will remain confidential

Investigative Summary
Transit Police close and open stations
Officer was locking the elevator at
Huntingdon Station and heard man
warning another person that station was
closed
Officer found Mr. Lopez on the WB
platform
Officer advised Mr. Lopez that station was
closed

Investigative Summary
Officer walked Mr. Lopez to the stairs
Mr. Lopez repeatedly asked officer if more
trains were coming
Mr. Lopez then told officer that a person
had threatened him at the entrance
Officer and Mr. Lopez discussed what
occurred earlier when Mr. Lopez entered
the station

Investigative Summary
Mr. Lopez initiated argument with another
man
Officer gets between the two
Officer tries to de-escalate by going back
to locking up the station
Mr. Lopez became more agitated and
began using racial slurs towards the other
man

Investigative Summary
Officer instructed Mr. Lopez to leave the
area
Mr. Lopez failed to disperse
Officer took Mr. Lopez by the arm and
tried to walk him away
Mr. Lopez repeatedly pulled his arm away
and verbally berated the officer

Investigative Summary
Officer decided to arrest Mr. Lopez and
ordered him to place his hands on the wall
Mr. Lopez refused and a struggle began
8 minute struggle with officer attempting to
handcuff Mr. Lopez
Mr. Lopez 59 189
Officer 56 155
Mr. Lopez punched officer and grabbed
officers gunbelt

Investigative Summary
Officer warned Mr. Lopez that continued
resistance would result in use of Taser
Officer repeatedly warned Mr. Lopez
Mr. Lopez bit the officers left wrist
Officer drive stunned Mr. Lopez multiple
times each for less than 5 seconds
The Taser was not effective against Mr.
Lopezs resistance

Investigative Summary
Officer tried multiple times to radio for help
Search plan initiated with assistance of
Philadelphia Police
Passing firefighters assisted officer
Firefighters are EMTs and none of them
indicated that Mr. Lopez needed medical
treatment

Investigative Summary
Mr. Lopez was placed in the backseat of
the Transit Police vehicle
Mr. Lopez was not immediately taken to
the hospital because he had no visible
injuries and did not complain of any injury
For 11 minutes and 24 seconds, Mr. Lopez
sat in the police car and was checked four
times by officers

Investigative Summary
SGT ordered that Mr. Lopez be taken to
Frankford Aria Hospital to be evaluated
Episcopal Hospital is .6 miles from
Huntingdon Station
Frankford Aria Hospital is 3.3 miles from
Huntingdon Station
SGT was mistaken about what hospital
was closest

Investigative Summary
Transportation from the scene took
between 7 and 9 minutes
Upon arrival at Frankford Aria Hospital, Mr.
Lopez was not breathing and did not have
a pulse
At 2:54am, Mr. Lopez passed away

Investigative Summary
On 25 October 2015 at app 10:30pm, a
citizen was waiting for his daughter
Had contact with Mr. Lopez
Mr. Lopez accused him of owing him
money
Mr. Lopez became verbally abusive and
physically threatening

Investigative Summary
Video shows Mr. Lopez on WB platform
and walking with officer to stairway
Video shows 1 minute and 17 seconds of
struggle
Video shows approximately 4 minutes of
struggle

Investigative Summary
Autopsy report determined that Mr.
Lopezs death was an accident caused by
Acute Phencyclidine Toxicity
PCP is known to cause agitation and
violent behavior
The officers actions were determined to
be appropriate and within the guidelines of
department policy

Investigative Summary
Procedural changes including status
updates of officer location and GPS
tracking of personnel
Verification of closest hospital through
reference document in communications
center
SGT disciplined for department policy
violations

Investigative Summary

QUESTIONS?