The more you look at it, the more it seems Philly PD didn't just randomly stop Marvin Harrison yesterday

by Brad Wells on Jun 18, 2010 8:01 AM EDT in NFL General

From PFT:

Howard Eskin of 610 WIP in Philadelphia tells us that police actually plan to search more broadly for potential matches, comparing the gun to any and all shootings to which Harrison possibly could be connected.
To date, only two possible incidents have been reported. In addition to the April 2008 shooting, police have investigated whether the man who shot and killed Dwight Dixon (one of the April 2008 victims) did so at the behest of Harrison.

Per Eskin, police in Philly plan to pursue aggressively any connection between Harrison and currently unsolved shootings. "I'm told police thought they had him before," Eskin said. "Now police will take this one to the wall."

WIP in Philly is not the best of sources in relation to this incident. In 2008, they were the sleazeballs floating all sorts of baseless rumors about Harrison, many of which were scoffed at by Philadelphia Daily-News reporter David Gambacorta. But, if Philly police do indeed intend to be more aggressive, it probably explains why Harrison was pulled over and searched despite some very suspect circumstances on the part of the cops. The ESPN report yesterday stated a car was following Harrison prior to him driving the wrong way up a street. He was then pulled over by the police for a traffic violation and his car searched.

Willing to bet the car following Harrison wasn't his mother making sure he got OK after a long day at the car wash.

Was the car following Harrison a police tail? Perhaps that explains why Harrison made a traffic violation that prompted the cops to pull him over. Maybe he was trying to ditch the tail.

A set-up by the cops to prompt a car search? This kind of stuff is typical of big city police departments. Who knows. What I do know is the details on this story seem very fishy, and it is worth noting that the primary source for Shaun Assael's ESPN article was the Philly PD.This means the police are using a press contact to drum up interest in the media, and thus pressure other offices (aka, the DA) to take notice of their recent ~~harassment~~ activity involving Harrison.

So, it's possible this is one way the police are being "aggressive" in finding a connection between Harrison and just about every other shooting in the greater Philly area the last two or three years.

As I said earlier, if the police find evidence that results in a charge and conviction for Marvin Harrison in the shooting of Dwight Dixon, bravo. However, their tactics sure sound shady, don't they? And people wonder why Marvin (born and raised in Philly) is such a big gun lover.

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Sounds like the police were doing an end-around

Kind of seems like they didn’t have enough evidence to obtain a search warrant, so they used a trumped-up excuse to get a look at one of his firearms. I agree…it’s shady.

by Todd S. on Jun 18, 2010 8:40 AM EDT reply actions

The gun used in the original shooting was one of Harrison's

Why would they want to look at a different weapon of his? Has there been another shooting? The cops are chancing getting fired and prosecuted for a random weapon? To what end?

Harrison was caught going the wrong way down a one way street. It doesn’t matter if the cops were tailing him before he did it. It’s not an excuse to break the law because a police officer behind you made you scared. None of us here could get away with it and neither should Harrison.

This whole thing is a non story. Having a gun in a car, and even lying about it (please don’t do this), doesn’t prove anything and doesn’t mean anything. But it’s also a non story of Philly PD corruption. The Law and Order brand police and legal analysis is great, but it’s also baseless.

by ActionOxford on Jun 18, 2010 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions

You're right

cops should be aloud to follow people for no reason, harass citizens whenever they want, and abuse their power in any other way they see fit.

Anyone who has a problem with Joseph should stop watching Colts football. It's unfair to expect a back to replace Edge, and Addai has been excellent in all areas when he is healthy.

by DontHateAddai on Jun 18, 2010 7:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Wish Marvin would make a statement or something

by Ty46 on Jun 18, 2010 8:42 AM EDT reply actions

definitely seems the cops are being mad sketch about this

but I suspect Harrison was probably doing something sketchy to get them to be so aggressive. It just doesn’t make sense that the cops would gun for him if they didn’t have circumstantial evidence that leans heavily towards Marv being guilty. I’d say because the evidence is merely circumstantial they’re reaching to try and find something more solid with which to build a case.

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by JustAJ on Jun 18, 2010 8:58 AM EDT reply actions

Marvin humiliated them

The Philly police (and the DA) put a lot of work into trying to prove that Harrison had committed murder, all of which resulted in exactly zero charges filed. That’s like spending two months watching tape on Marvin preparing to cover him and then in the first half he hauls in 180 yards and three TDs. He clowned them.

They already blew it and lost the game. Are they just going to sit back and take it in the second half or are they going to throw a few cheap shots to make Marvin pay?

"The best defensive player is the sideline." - Trevor Pryce, on how to stop Peyton Manning

by szquirrel on Jun 18, 2010 9:09 AM EDT reply actions

They put a lot of work into solving homicides all the time.

You follow the leads where they go and if they burn out they burn out. It is not like being burnt on the football field.

by ActionOxford on Jun 18, 2010 9:25 AM EDT up reply actions

It's not a perfect analogy

But this case is not just another day at the office for Philly Law & Order. It’s been a very, very public embarrassment for them. They may be professionals but they’re also human and not above getting frustrated.

It’s going to be a long time before we hear the whole story but based on this article the “routine traffic stop” and “probable cause to search the vehicle” don’t exactly sound squeaky clean.

"The best defensive player is the sideline." - Trevor Pryce, on how to stop Peyton Manning

by szquirrel on Jun 18, 2010 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions

What embarassment?

Is it because they have a high profile suspect and can’t bring a case against him? Why is that embarrassing? Wouldn’t it be more embarrassing to bring a case against a person just because they’re famous? The case is stalled. It happens all the time except on Law and Order. Murder is very hard to prove and prosecute.

Stopping someone for driving the wrong way down a street is routine. I drove down Speer in Downtown Denver the wrong way and should have been pulled over. Why shouldn’t Harrison? Because he’s famous?

Probable cause is always a tough climb. Without reading the police report and interviewing the people involved the appropriateness is hard to ascertain.

by ActionOxford on Jun 18, 2010 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Uh

The GQ piece had to be pretty embarrassing. Jason Fagone makes it sound like Harrison shot a man in broad daylight in front of several witnesses, talked to the police for an hour, handed them the gun he used, and STILL got away with it. What does that say about law enforcement in Philly?

Note that I’m saying any of this did or didn’t happen. I’m saying that it would be staggeringly naive to think that Philly police have no hard feelings toward Marvin and no motive to put as much pressure on him as possible.

"The best defensive player is the sideline." - Trevor Pryce, on how to stop Peyton Manning

by szquirrel on Jun 18, 2010 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Uh

You don’t prosecute someone based upon a journalist’s article. You prosecute based upon the evidence that is not on what somebody has pieced together. Fagone’s article is not admissible nor should it influence the case. No DA should ever proceed with a case because of pressure from the know nothing media.

Which is more embarrassing (1) prosecuting before you’re ready resulting in acquittal or (2) stalling the case to make it more solid? Do you think prosecuting OJ before being ready was not embarrassing? There are specific elements that need to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. If you go to court without any one of them you will lose on a motion for summary judgment. I may just be a 2L, but even I know that that’s embarrassing.

by ActionOxford on Jun 18, 2010 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Fine, whatever

Even if the Philly police are consummate professionals who are doing everything right to build the perfect case against Harrison there’s still plenty of reason to believe that they used a so-called “random” traffic stop as a fishing expedition to look for more evidence and/or put pressure on him. That’s a perfectly legal tactic available to the cops but it still breeds resentment among citizens who worry about the arbitrary nature of traffic law enforcement.

If you’re a 2L you can probably appreciate the civil rights concerns of police using traffic laws as an excuse to say, “Papers please, comrade.” And if you’re just a guy who read 1984 it might bug you that Big Brother can keep riding your ass when you haven’t even been charged with a crime.

"The best defensive player is the sideline." - Trevor Pryce, on how to stop Peyton Manning

by szquirrel on Jun 21, 2010 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Philly Cops

Has anyone brought up the possibility that maybe the cops didn’t write the truth in their report? Maybe Harrison didn’t lie to them about the gun, but the cops needed to justify the search in their report. Also, is there video of him driving the wrong way and then being pulled over? Going the wrong way down a one-way street is wrong, but what are the circumstances around the incident. Is it a busy street? There probably wasn’t oncoming traffic. There are not enough details in any reporters’ covering of this incident to draw major criticism toward Marvin. What could be interesting is if a team decides to sign Marvin to play next season and Sheriff Goodell uses these questionable incidents to implement a suspension where he can’t play for so many games. That probably won’t happen because a team won’t sign him.

by Snozzberry on Jun 18, 2010 9:17 AM EDT reply actions

All very possible scenarios. I think one of the biggest unlooked problems in America right now is the level of police corruption. IMO it’s just waaay to easy to become a police officer. They need to make the requirements much more stringent to weed out potential corrupt individuals. Any asshole that wants power can be a cop as long as he has a GED.

To add to this, police should be held to higher standard than the average citizen. If you get caught breaking the very laws you enforce, you should NOT be put on paid leave. Police are supposed to set the example and yet they only get a slap on the wrist most of the time where the average citizen would be hit with fines/probation/time you name it. Who investigates the police when they do wrong? They do.

by HappyLittleTreez on Jun 18, 2010 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree that they should have higher standards for Police Officers....

But at the same time they should also raise their pay and benefits… most of the PO in our area cannot even afford to live here (not talking about million dollar mansions)… and they sometimes make less than firefighters??? why? I don’t understand. Yes, independent agency investigating Police corruption is not a bad idea, as long as that agency is NOT corrupt either. It gives me a headache thinking of all these craps….

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by Manning4ever on Jun 18, 2010 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Living in Philly is all the justification Harrison needs to have a gun, IMO

It can get really rough in some parts of that town. Where exactly does he live?

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by LV Steelers Fan on Jun 18, 2010 9:27 AM EDT reply actions

East side

I think

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NEW BLOG, as my original one is blocked by the Great Firewall.
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by JustAJ on Jun 18, 2010 9:29 AM EDT up reply actions

His traffic stop was in a REALLY run-down part of the north side, 2700 block of Jefferson Avenue

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by LV Steelers Fan on Jun 18, 2010 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions

Open Your Eyes

The cops think Harrison shot Dwight Dixon in 2008 and was involved in his death last summer. The previous DA didn’t feel she had the evidence to go forward. The new DA wants to make a new case and has the opportunity to make a name for himself with a high profile prosecution.

Given that Marvin’s gun (not the one from this week’s car stop but the rare Belgian model) was definitely shot at the original scene in 2008, Marvin claims it never left his possession, and Marvin was in a fight with Dixon minutes before the shooting they have pretty good reason to believe he was directly involved as the shooter or gave his gun to someone to do it. Common sense would dictate that. Someone please explain to me another plausible scenario for Marv’s gun being used at the scene. Marvin has never come out and said the cops’ version of his story was wrong.

BBS thinks if this can’t be proven in a court of law then there’s no reason to believe that Marv is likely the responsible party. I have a hard time turning a blind eye to the evidence pointing at him here. We all like Marv as a player too but if a friend of family member of mine was shot and the cops found the guy with the gun used at the scene and he claims it never left his possession I think I know who I would want the investigation focused on. If the police weren’t able to build a case it likely wouldn’t put my mind at ease that this person wasn’t the shooter. Dixon lacking credibility as a witness doesn’t eliminate the facts not disputed by Marv. Don’t understand why BBS feels the need to ignore everything that is pointing to Marv. If I was the prosecutor I’d be tailing him too.

by cleanface on Jun 18, 2010 11:21 AM EDT reply actions