DA Krasner announces charges for 2020 assault of BLM supporter in Fishtown
PHILADELPHIA - District Attorney Larry Krasner announced new charges against a man for his role in an assault during a confrontation last summer in the Fishtown neighborhood amid racial justice uprisings.
The incident happened near the 26th Philadelphia Police District at Berks and Girard Avenue on June 1, 2020.
At the time, authorities say a violent confrontation occurred between numerous unarmed Black Lives Matter supporters and people wielding bats and axes.
Richard "Richie" Goodwin is alleged to have thrown another individual off a bike and hitting him multiple times until his ear and face bled.
As a result, Goodwin is charged with simple assault (M2) and recklessly endangering another person (M2).
In a statement released to FOX 29, DA Krasner condemned the events and said "we will not tolerate violence".
His statement reads at length:
"Our investigation has identified Richie Goodwin as the individual responsible for violently throwing a person off his bike and onto the ground, and repeatedly punching him in the head until his ear and face bled. The apparent provocation for this violent crime was that the victim -- heading home after being teargassed alongside hundreds of civilians by Philadelphia Police on I-676 -- had thrown his fist up in solidarity with fellow Black Lives Matter supporters in his community," DA Krasner said. "Just as our city and nation continue to reckon with systemic racism and injustice, the Philadelphia DA’s office continues to investigate incidents of property destruction, burglary, harassment, and violence that occurred during the historic uprisings of 2020. We will not tolerate violence in the name of movement protest or in the name of ‘protecting’ the police."
The investigation then found that as Goodwin is alleged to have run at the complainant before assaulting him.
At least two bystanders attempted to intervene as Goodwin punched the complainant.
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