D.A. Declares War On 'Vigilantes;' Popular Police Captain Demoted

By Ralph Cipriano

for BigTrial.net

In the upside-down world of District Attorney Larry Krasner, he's working to free most of the 2,000 looters and demonstrators arrested by cops during the protests. 

But Krasner has already indicted one cop for allegedly using excessive force during the protests, and he's looking to indict a few more. And yesterday, the Progressive D.A. announced plans for targeting a new type of criminal for prosecution -- "vigilantes."

In a memo to cops announcing new "Procedures for Misdemeanor Arrests," the district attorney's office outlined how to arrest and charge alleged vigilantes for using bats, golf clubs and hatchets to menace allegedly peaceful protesters.

"Bats and golf clubs are criminal when used to menace/threaten," the D.A.'s office wrote in the memo. "A baseball bat in a park where the pandemic has banned sports, there's no ball field, and they're being handed out of garbage bags . . . is not manifestly appropriate."

This is rich coming from Krasner whose office has routinely freed armed and dangerous drug dealers, a two-time murderer, and a guy who strangled his girlfriend. Under Krasner, while the D.A. is now out hunting vigilantes, he's turned a blind eye to protesters who were arrested after throwing rocks, bottles filled with urine, and tennis balls filled with cement at the cops. 

In the memo, the D.A. tells cops that vigilantes brandishing bats and golf clubs can be arrested for possession of an instrument of crime. And if they actually use those weapons to hurt somebody, they can also be charged with simple assault.

In the memo, the D.A.'s office tells cops that a vigilante can be arrested for disorderly conduct if they act "with intent to cause . . . annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk." For example, if a vigilante "uses fighting words or obscenities," such words "aren't protected speech," the D.A. states.

If you're going to arrest a vigilante for terroristic threats, the D.A. tells cops, the threat "needs to be specific." Such as, "I'm going to follow you home and burn down your house," or "I'm going to rape you."

"Note: we have a report of those two exact threats," the D.A.'s office tells the cops, both in Fishtown and at Marconi Plaza. And both incidents, according to Krasner, allegedly occurred in the presence of police officers.

A vigilante can also be cited for harassment if he or she "strikes, shoves or otherwise subjects another person to unwanted physical contact, or attempts or threatens to do the same," the D.A. writes. "Depending on damages, this could also be criminal mischief."

Finally, the D.A. wrote that vigilantes can be arrested and charged with official oppression for physically detaining a journalist without probable cause, as well as destroying property such as cell phones to prevent citizen recordings.

Supposedly, both of these things happened during confrontations between protesters and vigilantes at Marconi Plaza over the Christopher Columbus statue.

On his Twitter account, Krasner has been seeking "all videos of the South Philly and Fishtown incidents" where white vigilantes allegedly attacked or harassed protesters who were invading their neighborhoods.

The D.A. has also been denouncing vigilantes. 

"Hey bat-wielders," Krasner tweeted on Sunday. "Saying you are 'defending' something doesn't prove you really are. And using a bat -- or anything else-- for an illegal purpose (such as assaulting or threatening or harassing people) is a criminal act."

"So save your bats for a ball game. And save your hatchets for chopping wood. We remain the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection."

Except when it comes to cops.

Speaking of the alleged vigilantism at Marconi Plaza, the police response while mediating the standoff down there between protesters and "vigilantes" has resulted in the transfer of Captain Louis Campione, the commanding officer of the First Police District.

What did Campione do to merit a transfer that many say is a demotion?

On Twitter, Unicorn Riot, ran a video of the captain telling a Unicorn Riot "reporter" to take a hike.

"I'm giving you three warnings to disperse," the captain told the reporter on the video. "It's a volatile situation."

"I'm here as a journalist," the reporter responded.

"You're inciting a riot," the captain responds, to which the reporter, after a second warning from the captain, finally agrees to leave. 

But not before one final tweet.

"We are no longer able to document the ongoing, escalating Marconi Plaza South Philadelphia vigilante incident after PhillyPolice ordered us to leave or be arrested," Unicorn Riot posted on Twitter. "We were told we no longer had the right to document this event."

The Unicorn Riot posting drew the ire of City Councilman Katherine Gilmore Richardson, who tweeted, "This is not acceptable."

"My office is currently looking into this," added Council member Kendra Brooks.

Unicorn riot had previously charged that their reporter was "jumped by groups of men, kicked, punched in the mouth, had camcorder broken," along with "numerous attempts to steal phone."

In another video, the "reporter" appears to have a decided point of view about the Columbus statue, which on social media had been targeted for protests.

"So what do you think about reports that Christopher Columbus cut off the hands of people who didn't bring him enough gold?" the reporter asked the locals.

"You gonna talk shit get the fuck out of here," one local replied. Then, on the video, the locals are seen scuffling with the reporter, taking his bike away, and slashing its tires.

Cops were upset about the transfer of Captain Campione. 

"The police department is always talking about community based policing," one cop said. "Well you just removed the captain who does the most of that out of all the commanders."

"This is 100 percent racial," the cop said.

Sekou Kinebrew, a spokesperson for the department, could not shed any light on the reason for the transfer of Captain Campione.

"Captain Campione's change in command was one of several command changes that took place yesterday," Kinebrew wrote in an email, but he declined any further comment.

On social media, South Philly residents were advertising a rally at 4:30 p.m. at Broad and Oregon Avenue on behalf of the captain.

"We are very, very sad to report that our beloved police captain, Louis Campione, has been transferred to the northern-most outpost in the city  [Far, Far Northeast]," the post said. "This is a pitiful, vindictive move on the part of the mayor and police commissioner due to one complaint from an Antifa."

"After 42 years of impeccable service to the residents of this city, this decision is an absolute disgrace and must be reversed 'effective immediately.' Now!"

The post said that the captain works 80-hour weeks and is "the epitome of 'community policing.' "

"As you know, Captain Campione never misses a meeting, phone call, an event, a funeral, a family crisis, an accident or a community event. We need to show him our full support and demand that the mayor and police commissioner reverse this retaliatory demotion."

The FOP also denounced the move.

"The mayor and the police leadership are more concerned with appeasing the anarchist mobs descending upon our city and are less concerned about our citizens, our neighbors, and the overall safety of our great city," said FOP President John McNesby, who praised Captain Campione as the "Gold Standard in Police Commands."

So there you have it folks; the battle lines are drawn. On one side, it's the mayor and the police commissioner and the district attorney all in support of the protesters.

And on the other side it's the cops and residents who felt the need to defend their neighborhoods against outside agitators.