-->

• James Cousins II is an Erie, Pennsylvania police officer who was videotaped in a bar, while off duty, describing the demise of a homicide victim in what has been called a disrespectful manner.GoErie.com: Cop's Action...Plainly Wrong (April 19, 2009)

  Cousins told the Associated Press on April 22, 2009, that he embellished the truth to make himself seem more important when he mocked a murder victim in a videotaped conversation. Cousins apologized to the victim's family in a letter, which said that he had "brought great shame to a good city."Associated Press: Videotaped remarks were embellished (April 22, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Full name: James Cousins II
  2. Became a patrolman in 2004
  3. Was allegedly drunk when videotapedSalon.com: NAACP Head Calls for Pa. Officer... (April 19, 2009)
  4. Erie police force made excuses for the situation, stating Cousins was off duty and in a compromised situation
  5. Suspended with pay from the Erie police force
  6. Suspended without pay from his part-time position with the Girard Borough
  7. NAACP called for his resignation

• Call For Resignation

  The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and The Reverend Michael T. Williams, president of Erie's African American Concerned Clergy, called for his resignation. Cousins was suspended pending further investigation.GoErie.com: Cop's Action...Plainly Wrong (April 19, 2009)

• The Murder Victim

  On March 28, 2009, Rondale Jennings Sr. was shot in the head while he was outside of the Bullpen tavern.

• The Controversy

  Cousins described the death of Jennings to his friends, while drinking at a bar. Without his knowledge, Cousins was being videotaped, as he laughed about the victim and demonstrated how the victims leg twitched, while stating, "he's twitching like a f------ chicken." He also commented that there is "one less drug dealer to deal with and "I swear to God it looked like ...out of a movie. It was ...perfect."Greenwhich Diva: Police officer James Cousins II... (April 19, 2009)

  After the video surfaced on YouTube, the Erie Police Department tried to get the video removed from the Internet, and went to find the video maker instead of condemning the actions of the officer.GoErie.com: Cop's Actions, City's Response... (April 19, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Police | Police Torture Video Mexico | Philadelphia Police Beating | Police Car Hits Man Video

Categories

• View History
• Discuss on the Message Board
• Embed this Page
• Share this page