Philadelphia, PA: An internationally renowned newspaper, The Washington Post, sought out Philadelphia criminal attorney Patrick Link in regards to a police officer who shot three people over the course of three years, an officer that Mr. Link had encountered and defeated in court multiple times. Philadelphia police officer Cyrus Mann was fired after three separate killings which included the shooting of an unarmed man in the back.
Individuals who were victimized by the officer were later charged with crimes. The Post reached out to attorney Patrick Link because he successfully defended two of these three cases. At a time when it seems difficult to convict police officers of any wrongdoing, working as a criminal attorney in cases involving unethical cops is a daunting task. This is why The Post sought out Link’s professional opinion on the cases.
Unfortunately, Link’s successful defense of these victims of police brutality wasn’t enough to get Officer Mann off the streets. The following is a brief timeline of the events The Washington Post interviewed Link about:
- June 17, 2011: Mann fires five shots at unarmed men driving in an SUV.
- August 9, 2012: Mann shoots an unarmed, fleeing suspect in the back. The suspect dies.
- June 10, 2013: Philadelphia has to pay $465,000 to the family of Mann’s 2012 victim.
- June 25, 2014: Mann shoots another suspect multiple times. Forensics show the suspect never fired a weapon.
Fired Then Rehired
It took over one year, but the Philadelphia Police Department finally dismissed Mann. Less than 12 months later, though, a police union forced the department to rehire the embattled officer. Most people believe the “thin blue line” ensures police departments protect their officers, but in many cases, these departments try to fire reckless cops only to be told they’re not allowed.
This is a particular problem in Philadelphia – where over 60 percent of fired officers are able to get reinstated thanks to help from an outside union. Even if the majority of police do their jobs well, this is an issue that The City of Brotherly Love shouldn’t be facing. Philadelphia attorneys like Patrick Link shouldn’t have to defend clients against corrupt officers, but until the city’s problem is fixed, they will continue to be a necessity for ensuring justice is done.
