A video has been posted to YouTube of a Philadelphia police officer who appears to be beating a citizen with his baton, less than three weeks after a fellow officer made headlines after a video of him hitting a woman at a public event was also put online.
This time, though, the YouTube video shows the citizen, identified as 43-year-old John Scrivano, slapping the officer first.
The video was on posted on YouTube on Sunday, Oct. 14. It apparently occurred during Oktoberfest on South Street in Philadelphia on Sept. 29.
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Lt. Raymond Evers defended the officer seen in the video to Philly.com, saying "The guy [Scrivano] was highly intoxicated. What do you want?" Evers billed it as "old news" to Philly.com and is not releasing the officer's name.
Internal Affairs investigated the level of force used by the officer, Evers told NBC10. But the officer was not put on desk duty or reprimanded for his actions.
Scrivano's girlfriend told NBC10 he was unconscious when paramedics arrived.
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In the earlier incident this month, Lt. Jonathan Josey was caught on tape hitting a woman, and was suspended for 30 days. The department intends to fire him, according to Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter publicly apologized to the victim, Aida Guzman, in the Lt. Josey case, saying he was appalled, angry and ashamed. He said Josey violated his role as a public servant.
"We're here to serve the people who hire us. We're not over them or above them," Nutter said. "We're here with them."
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