Soros DA declines to charge anti-Israel UPenn protester who allegedly assaulted cop
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner declined to charge an anti-Israel University of Pennsylvania protester who allegedly assaulted a police officer.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner declined to charge an anti-Israel University of Pennsylvania protester who allegedly assaulted a police officer.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Krasner’s office said that evidence submitted by the University of Pennsylvania police didn’t support enhanced charges against four people, such as resisting arrest or defiant trespass.
Krasner’s office did approve misdemeanor charges against three people, according to the report.
The district attorney said it declined to file charges against an individual accused of assaulting a police offer during the attempted takeover of a University of Pennsylvania building.
[RELATED: 19 arrested at UPenn after attempted takeover of campus building]
Krasner claimed police “have not provided us with crucial video evidence and other forms of corroboration that we would normally expect,” adding that “every indication is there was no injury [to the officer], there was no medical treatment.”
Krasner said his office may consider additional charges if more evidence is filed, but said that law enforcement should “tread lightly and be careful before we act like every kind of protest is a crime. It is not.”
The district attorney’s comments came after 19 anti-Israel protesters were taken into custody at the University of Pennsylvania on Friday after attempting to occupy a campus building.
“Earlier this evening, a group of individuals entered Fisher-Bennett Hall on Penn’s campus and attempted to occupy it,” a university spokesperson said in a statement. “Penn Police, with support from Philadelphia Police, escorted them out and secured the building, taking several individuals into custody.”
Seven of the 19 were taken into police custody and recommended for more serious charges, while 12 were issued citations for failure to disperse and failure to follow police commands.
Billionaire George Soros spent nearly $1.7 million on Krasner’s campaign when running for district attorney in 2017, according to local public radio station WHYY.
