Lower Merion police face pushback at a crowded and emotional meeting after a controversial traffic stop

LOWER MERION TWP., Pa. – Concerned residents packed a Lower Merion township meeting Wednesday night, wanting answers after recently released video shows a controversial traffic stop.

“You need to do something before someone is seriously injured here and a family member loses a mother, father, son or daughter,” Ardmore resident Crystal Blunt said.

Community members were saddened and outraged when they watched a video of the police response to a traffic stop on January 8, the 36-year-old driver activated multiple times and got out of her car after refusing orders from police officers. officers.

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“Something is wrong. Something is wrong and this is happening repeatedly, but we don’t see any change,” stated the Rev. Carolyn Cavaness, president of the Mainline Black Interdenominational Ministries Alliance.

“I feel like their rights were violated and I feel like Lower Merion is better than what I saw in that video,” NAACP Main Branch President Brian Reese-Turner said.

Lower Merion Police Superintendent Michael McGrath described what happened and tried to be transparent, saying it was all legal, but not up to department standards.

“Clearly, the woman is afraid. Clearly she is trying to do whatever she can to save her life,” Ardmore resident Ginette Williams said. “The physical violence of reaching her hand into her car and pulling and pulling on her, electrocuting her multiple times.”

The Rev. Scott Dorsey of the Mainline Black Interdenominational Ministries Alliance says this cannot happen again. “Our goal tonight is to say, let’s fix this. In my opinion, in no way did I feel like you had to put your hands on or use that kind of force on a woman.”