The Chattanooga Police Department has decided that an officer who assaults two people, including pushing one through a plate glass window, will not be criminally charge. Det. Kenneth Freeman is truly a free man after, on Christmas Eve, shoving 71-year-old Wal-Mart greeter Bill Walker to the ground. Why? Because he was asking for a receipt check. Freeman then reportedly shoved Gholom Ghassedi through a glass door when he tried to assist Walker. The police routinely charge people with battery and resisting arrest if they touch the sleeve of an officer. Even hugging an officer or passing gas near an officer has led to a charge of assault. Yet, the Chattanooga Police Department can’t imagine what it would charge Freeman with after assaulting an elderly man and shoving a good samaritan through a glass door.
Collegedale Judge Kevin Wilson reviewed the complaint filed by Walker and decided that there was no room for an assault charge.
Walker said an alarm went off when Det. Freeman and another city police officer, Edwin McPherson, were leaving the store. He tried to stop Freeman and pushed against a soft drink machine and to the floor. He said the officer then stood over him in a threatening manner as he lay on the floor.
A customer, Gholom Ghassedi, then told Freeman, “You can’t push down an old man” and began struggling with him only to be shoved through a glass door. He was bleeding from his neck when officers arrived.
Cpl. Larry Robbins Jr. of the Collegedale Police said he decided not to bring assault charges against Det. Freeman because the incident was a misdemeanor not committed in the presence of an officer — not counting the officer doing the beating of course. He further insisted that, since Gholom Ghassedi, did not seek medical attention, it did not meet that criteria. Finally, he explained “there were no other crimes committed along with the possible simple assault.”
If that seems a bit ridiculous, it is. There is a host of possible charges here in the abuse of an elderly person and assault on not one but two individuals. The police department had to struggle to find a way not to charge Freeman, insisting that they were “unable to determine at the scene that there was any intent to commit an assault.” Well, whatever his intent, he succeeded in knocking an elderly man to the ground and throwing another through a door. Was that all involuntary muscular reflex?
By the way, Freeman was involved in a scuffle with attorney Lloyd Levitt at the Courts Building in May 2007. What is clear is that the problem is not just Det. Freeman, but the Chattanooga Police Department itself.
For the full story, click here.
Court Of Appeals Affirms Firing Of Officer Kenneth Freeman
posted March 31, 2011
The Tennessee Court of Appeals has upheld the firing of former Chattanooga Police Officer Kenneth Freeman.
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_197932.asp
This is old news from two years ago, but Officer Freeman was fired from the Chattanooga Police Department.
http://chattarati.com/metro/government-politics/2009/8/12/chattanooga-police-department-terminates-officer-k/
This report says it all. Freeman was in the wrong. http://media.timesfreepress.com/docs/2009/01/Freeman_IA_report_0130.pdf
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Cops are above the law in some places in the united states and in TN all cops are above the law they follow their own set of rules. Everyone should be in fear of police officers
@USA… come on buddy do you really think that if you, or i, or any other regular citizen for that matter, had thrown an elderly man to the ground and another man through a glass door just because they touched you would NOT be charged with assault? get real. what world do you live in? they would throw an ordinary citizen in jail, no questions asked. this is just another sad example of the scalia’s new ‘professionalism’ and the growing divide between the laws that police and citizens are bound to. it is also sad that there are people such as yourself, who support the police being governed by a different set of laws than citizens. that said, you must be a pig or related to one.
oh an another thing…get rid of that idiot!!
some officers tend to use the badge as a…i can do anything i want and get away with it.just because the man brushed his shoulder doesn’mean he was assaulting the officer,that’s a crock of crap!!!he should be fired.the decision by the police department not to prosecute is lame.where is justice to protect the meak little people,especially one who was trying to do his job.
One thing im just not getting.If the cop really thought he was being assaulted, why didnt he just arrest the old man?.Not one post talks about this.Even after he beat the crap out of both men,why didnt he arrest them?.He would still be a moron, but at least he would have some sort of defense.
To the cop-lover who suggested that we would all cherish having a cop around if we heard glass-breaking in the middle of the night and some stranger was about to enter, etc. etc. (I’m paraphrasing his entry.) Uh, moron, you cops are NEVER there in time. And you don’t have a clue what to do when you do show up. I can take care of myself just fine if someone tries to break in. I’m well-armed, as are many people in this country. We the People solve way more crimes than the mentally ill cops ever will.
The Chattanooga Police force must have no standards of conduct for an employee?
This same detective has assaulted someone while on duty
outside a court room and now a elderly Walmart greeter
maybe when Freeman actually hurts someone the city of Chattanooga will be justly sued as well as the administration…..
Mr.Freeman you woudld no longer represent the law of Chattanooga if I made the decision…. You are an embrassment Period.