The DA absolved the police, insisting they “acted appropriately.”
By TooFab Staff
Wyomissing police officers acted appropriately during the arrest, according to Berks County District Attorney John Adams.
Posting his decision on Facebook, the DA said police had been called over reports an individual was “riding a bicycle through the store, playing loud music and yelling profanities at other shoppers.”
https://www.facebook.com/BerksDA/posts/4361506770541027
He said Gracius was asked by the manager to leave the store but refused. When police arrived she told officers he was paying for the bike, but had been “weaving back and forth in the aisles, hitting some shopping carts and almost hitting other shoppers.”
She said she told him to leave but he replied “You’re not going to tell me what to do.”
The defendant was detained by the Wyomissing Police and at all times during the encounter, the Wyomissing Police showed restraint, acted professionally, and did a good job deescalating the situation with the defendant, Stanley Gracius,” the DA wrote.
https://www.facebook.com/ezy.smula.1/posts/284300342905392
“Mr. Gracius did not in any manner abide by the requests of not only the store manager of Walmart, but also the requests of the officers themselves.”
“Based on our review of this incident, the officers of the Wyomissing Police Department acted appropriately when they arrested this individual who was causing a disturbance in the Walmart store.”
Gracius was charged with Aggravated Assault, Simple Assault, Disarming Law Enforcement Officer, Resisting Arrest, Defiant Trespass and Disorderly Conduct.
He pointed out Gracius has a “prior criminal history involving a similar incident” from 2014 when he pled guilty to disarming law enforcement and criminal trespass.
A judge set his bail at $2,500.
Original Story
A Black shopper in Pennsylvania was tased and hogtied for cycling a bike he just bought for his son.
Distressing footage shot by witnesses at a Walmart in Wyomissing show the man, named Stanley Gracius, tackled to the ground inside the store, despite insisting he had a receipt.
The man continuously asks the officers why he is being arrested, but never gets a response.
“Why are you doing this to me? I paid for my stuff! I have a receipt! Please stop! I didn’t do anything wrong!” the distraught man can be heard shouting.
“You didn’t have to do this! Somebody please tell me why these cops are doing this to me.”
According to one witness who posted footage on Twitter, Gracius was testing the bike on the aisle, and was not bothering anyone.
https://twitter.com/labousaab44/status/1285372331502772226?s=20
https://twitter.com/labousaab44/status/1285372432010874880?s=20
“The kind man was test riding a bike through the store while playing some music and telling random strangers he hopes they have a great day and complimenting them,” she wrote. “He was absolutely no bother to anyone.”
“At the register when the man was paying for the bike, the officer grabbed his hand and twisted it as he tried to forcefully arrest him. I couldn’t tell you the reason.”
She Gracius kept telling the officers he had paid for everything, and was unaware of why he was being apprehended — and while asking the officers he was tased.
“Tell me why a man who was ABOUT TO LEAVE THE STORE had to go through all of this at CHECKOUT. if he was bothering people (which he wasn’t) they should have dealt with the situation more reasonably,” she wrote. “They could have made him leave or kicked him out. there was NO NEED TO TACKLE AND TAZE THIS INNOCENT MAN. AS HE WAS LEAVING.”
A follow up video shot by another witness outside the store shows more police joining the arrest, as Gracius continues to protest his innocence, telling the officer his son was expecting him home with the bike he’d just bought for him.
After asking for the umpteenth time, one officer can finally be heard telling him he is being arrested for “disorderly conduct”… and resisting arrest.
“I love you guys – why are you doing this?” Gracius even tells them at one stage, before repeatedly asking them “Please stop, you’re hurting me.”
After struggling to get him into the police car, one officer walks off and returns with a leather belt, hogtying his legs before finally shoving him into the car.
This article originally appeared in TooFab.
