Philly Mag vilifies victim of Puerto Rican Day police brutality

It is strange and outrageous that Philly Mag would publicize the criminal record of an undisputed victim of police violence against women.

2 comments

Philly Mag vilifies victim of Puerto Rican Day police brutality

POSTED: Friday, October 5, 2012, 4:32 PM
Filed Under: Media | News

Follow on Twitter @DanielDenvir

The woman who was punched in the face by Philadelphia Police Lt. Jonathan Josey has a middling criminal record, according to Philadelphia Magazine's Victor Fiorillo: a DUI, theft and “drug charges.”

“Last weekend in North Philadelphia, Philadelphia Police Lieutenant Jonathan Josey struck 39-year-old Ida Guzman with a single punch that has now been seen around the world,” Fiorillo writes. “But it wasn’t the first time that Guzman had a run-in with the police.”

Yet there is absolutely no reason to link Josey's fist "running into "Guzman's face with her previous run-ins with the law. No one has alleged that Guzman, whom Josey knocked to the ground with one punch, was doing anything at all wrong or illegal. She was spraying silly string and not at police, and no one claims otherwise. The District Attorney dropped charges against Guzman after it became clear that she was only charged because that's what police do to people they beat up — charge them with something.

I e-mailed Fiorillo to ask him why he published this.

“Her criminal past is relevant because she is relevant,” he wrote me back. “Though it may not be by her choice, she has become a news figure, a news figure directly involved in the biggest story to come out of Philadelphia this week. And the fact that she has been convicted of multiple crimes is clearly a matter of public record.” 

This is a defense of why Fiorillo thinks he can generate web traffic from the story. But that something is a matter of public record in no way automatically makes it newsworthy or ethical to publish. It is strange and fairly outrageous that Fiorillo would put the negative focus back onto Guzman, the undisputed victim of police violence against women. It's like disclosing a rape victim's sexual or criminal history to discredit her story. Philadelphia Magazine should apologize for running this story. This is a new low.

Posted by Daniel Denvir @ 4:32 PM  Permalink | 2 comments
2 comments
Comments  (2)
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:12 AM, 10/08/2012
    Great Article!
    craigw28
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:11 PM, 10/08/2012
    Thanks for sticking up for the VICTIM. Noone deserves to be treated that way.
    lauragoldman


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