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< Return to Events and Press Releases RE: Philadelphia Police Sergeant Robert RalstonBecause the maliciously racist lie told by Police Sergeant Robert Ralston about having been shot by a "black man wearing cornrows" adversely and severely affects all residents, taxpayers, and voters of Philadelphia — especially African American residents, taxpayers, and voters of Philadelphia — the attached letter written to District Attorney R. Seth Williams by Michael Coard, Esquire and Willie Lee Nattiel Jr., Esquire is being made public. LAW OFFICE OF MICHAEL COARD And NATTIEL SEAY & HUMBLE, P.C. 1315 WALNUT STREET May 20, 2010 R. Seth Williams, Esquire FACSIMILE TRANSMISISON TO 215/686-8024 Dear Mr. Williams: RE: Philadelphia Police Sergeant Robert Ralston On behalf of many in the African American community of Philadelphia, we submit this open letter to respectfully request specific clarification and prosecutorial action. It is a confirmed fact that Philadelphia Police Sergeant Robert Ralston on April 5, 2010 lied to police investigators about having been shot earlier that day by a man in the Overbrook section of this city. It is also a confirmed fact that the sergeant — who is white — completely fabricated a story about having been shot by a “black man wearing cornrows” when the truth is that he premeditatedly shot himself. In addition, it is a confirmed fact that Sergeant Ralston confessed to his racist lie and that on May 11 he was suspended with intent to dismiss. But what has not been confirmed, at least not in any officially public manner, is whether Sergeant Ralston was granted immunity from prosecution by your office for all applicable crimes in exchange for his confession. And if he was granted immunity, it has not been confirmed whether it was the restrictive “use immunity” or the broad “transactional immunity.” And if it was merely “use immunity,” it has not been confirmed whether your office will proceed (which it certainly and legally can still do) with prosecution based exclusively upon the overwhelming physical and other forensic evidence that resulted from the investigation separate and apart from Sergeant Ralston’s confession. As an aside, we must point out that we just recently received unconfirmed information from confidential law enforcement sources that instead of the granting of immunity, your office might have made a “proffer” to Sergeant Ralston. If that information is correct, we ask what exactly are the details of that proffer. Sergeant Ralston must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for his maliciously racist crimes. As a professional and skilled prosecutor, you can proceed — and in the interest of justice must zealously proceed — with a host of criminal charges, including (but certainly not limited to) the following:
Residents, taxpayers, and voters of Philadelphia — especially African American residents, taxpayers, and voters of Philadelphia — deserve specific clarification in direct response to the questions posed herein. They also deserve justice in the form of immediate prosecutorial action against Sergeant Ralston. Philadelphia’s African American community especially deserves such justice because for so long we have been the victims of police brutality, corruption, and misconduct. In fact, it was Philadelphia — specifically as a result of its police department — that in 1979 was the first city in the history of this country to be sued by the United States Department of Justice, almost exclusively due to the brutality, corruption, and misconduct directed against the African American community. And since 1979, among other notorious incidents, there was the 39th Police District’s widespread brutality, corruption, and misconduct in a predominantly black neighborhood in the 1990s — so widespread that it was formally investigated by the international Human Rights Watch organization. And more recently, there was the televised vicious beating of three innocent young black men by at least seven police officers in 2008. For those who try to minimize the racial component of police brutality, corruption, and misconduct in Philadelphia, we ask when was the last time (or even the first time) that African American police officers disrespected, robbed, beat, shot, or killed white victims. And for those who try to minimize the severity of Sergeant Ralston’s lie regarding the fictitious armed and dangerous black male perpetrator, we ask (among numerous other incidents) what about Bonnie Sweeten who lied last year about black men carjacking and kidnapping her and her daughter here in Philadelphia, Ashley Todd who also lied last year about a black man robbing and stabbing her here in Pennsylvania, Susan Smith who lied in 1994 about a black man murdering her two young children in South Carolina, and Charles Stuart who lied in 1989 about a black man shooting him and killing his wife in Massachusetts. As maliciously racist as these lies were, Sergeant Ralston’s lie is even worse because he is a police officer — with a badge and with a gun. And he was not just an armed police officer with authority, he was also a ranking veteran police supervisor. And he was sworn to uphold the law, not break it. He must be zealously prosecuted so that he can be severely punished for his extraordinary racism and so that his justifiably extreme punishment can serve as a deterrent to other similarly minded and similarly situated persons. We await your timely response to this open letter, and we thank you for your consideration. Respectfully submitted, MICHAEL COARD, ESQUIRE WILLIE LEE NATTIEL JR., ESQUIRE MC/ck WLN/ck cc: Zane David Memeger, Esquire Tom Corbett, Esquire |