Officer To Be Fired After Charges Of Perjury, Official Oppression

Philadelphia PA

15 April, 2021

10:25 AM

Description

PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia Police officer is being charged and fired after authorities said he lied under oath about seeing a drug deal, leading to an unlawful arrest. On Wednesday Officer James Saxton, 34, was arrested by the Philadelphia Police Department's Internal Affairs Division, following an investigation that found that Saxton lied under oath. On May 16, 2019, Saxton was sworn in as a witness in a preliminary hearing regarding the arrest of the complainant. The statements provided by Saxton during the hearing and the paperwork he submitted involving the arrest of the complainant were inconsistent with videos that recorded the incident. According to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, Saxton lied under oath at a preliminary hearing about seeing two men engaging in an attempted illegal drug transaction at the corner of A Street and Indiana Avenue on April 28, 2019. The DA's office said Saxton is alleged to have arrested one of the individuals without legal justification, and to have falsified official reports. On April 8, DA's office approved the charges against Saxton, which are felony perjury, unsworn falsification, and official oppression. "In order to earn the trust and cooperation of the public, we need police offers to tell the truth just like we need prosecutors to tell the truth," District Attorney Larry Krasner said. "Official corruption and abuse of power impact whole communities, which in this case included witnesses who provided cell phone and surveillance camera footage that disproved Officer Saxton's initial reports. Official lying undermines all law enforcement. This case illustrates the importance of Body Worn Cameras, and of following the rules of conduct within the department – especially rules regarding the usage of body worn cameras and the correct filing and storage of BWC footage." An arrest warrant was issued and Saxton turned himself into IAB. Saxton is a seven-year veteran of the department, and most recently assigned to the 24th District. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw has suspended Saxton for 30 days with the intent to dismiss at the end of the 30 days.