John Vibes | The Free Thought Project
Philadelphia, PA — Philadelphia Police Officer Deric Lewis was recently arrested for the third time, after being arrested on two other occasions and losing his job as a result. In his two previous arrests, Lewis was charged with assault and reckless endangerment, and was reported as being violent in both situations.
As a result of the first two arrests, he lost his job. However, shortly after, he was rehired, only to be arrested again.
In his most recent arrest, he was booked for domestic violence after his wife called the police on him.
While on the phone with the 911 operator, his wife claimed that he was trying to kill her.
“‘Please hurry. He has a gun and he’s going to kill me,’” she told the operator.
Police say that when they arrived on the scene both Lewis and his wife turned on the police. Lewis refused to identify himself and became belligerent with the officers and reportedly attacked one of them.
Lewis was arrested and charged with assault and two counts of harassment, which still seems light in comparison to what an average person would be charged with if they behaved in a similar manner.
When asked to comment on the case, Lewis’ wife told reporters that “I’m sure he doesn’t give a s**t about what you write. He’s on his way back to work right now.”
In his previous cases, Lewis was able to avoid prosecution because the witness never showed up for court.
Police spokesman Lt. John Stanford said that Lewis would not be getting off easy this time because the witnesses are police officers and will be required to be in court.
“This time, if the assault is against police, I’m pretty sure those officers will be responding to the hearing,” he said.
When pressed about why Stanford was rehired and allowed back on the police force, Stanford said that the matter was being investigated.
In 2010 when he was arrested, the victims in the case were girlfriends that he was involved with, meaning that he was likely manipulating or threatening them into silence.
Unfortunately, domestic violence is a serious problem among police officers, and in most cases they never see any consequences. According to recent studies, law enforcement officers beat their wives or girlfriends at nearly double the rate of the rest of the population.
Several studies, according to Diane Wetendorf, author of Police Domestic Violence: Handbook for Victims, indicate that women suffer domestic abuse in at least 40 percent of police officer families. For American women overall, the figure is 25 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to The Advocates for Human Rights Organization, studies indicate that police families are 2-4 times more likely than the general population to experience domestic violence, making the potential for disparities in protective success particularly troubling.
John Vibes is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter-culture and the drug war. In addition to his writing and activist work, he organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference, which features top caliber speakers and whistle-blowers from all over the world. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can find his 65 chapter Book entitled “Alchemy of the Timeless Renaissance” at bookpatch.com.