Philadelphia police officer charged with making false report

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Philadelphia police officer was charged Friday with multiple crimes stemming from an incident and arrest in April 2018.

Keith White, of Warminster, was charged for assaulting an individual and presenting false statements about the arrest, following an investigation by the Philadelphia Police Department Internal Affairs Division and the District Attorney's Office,

Investigators said the incident happened on April 13, 2018, in the 200 block of East Loudon Street.

Officer White, then assigned to the East Detective Division, signed a written statement alleging that during the course of a pursuit and arrest for selling narcotics, he had been struck in the mouth by the arrestee, resulting in injuries including bleeding and damage to his teeth, investigators said.

Based on White's statement, the defendant was arrested and charged, but White's statement was later contradicted by video surveillance.

Video showed that during the foot chase, White fell without being hit and appeared to have hit his face on the sidewalk. Footage also showed that the defendant was lying on the ground and did not physically resist arrest, investigators said.

Based on the video, authorities withdrew the assault charges against the defendant on April 30, 2018.

White is charged with unsworn falsification to authorities, false reports to law enforcement authorities, intent to implicate another, tampering with public records or information and official oppression.

White is a 13-year veteran of the department and was most recently assigned to the 25th District.

Acting Philadelphia Police Commissioner Christine Coulter has suspended White for 30 days with the intent to dismiss at the end of the 30 days