Officer Corcoran Charged with False Imprisonment

March 12, 2014:  The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office charged Philadelphia Police Officer Kevin Corcoran with False Imprisonment, Obstructing Administration of Law, and Official Oppression for an incident that occurred in March of 2013.  The charges against Officer Corcoran are the result of a joint investigation by the Philadelphia Police Internal Affairs Department (IAD) and the District Attorney’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU). On March 31, 2013 around 2:00AM, P/O Kevin Corcoran was on duty near   13th and Lombard Streets, when he encountered a group of people on   the sidewalk.  It was at this point   that one of the members of the group commented that P/O Corcoran had made an   illegal turn. P/O Corcoran then drove up next to the group, and in his police   uniform exited the patrol vehicle and began yelling at the group. Multiple   witnesses then began videotaping the incident on their cell phones.  P/O Corcoran proceeded to slap the   cellphone out of one of the group member’s hands and then confronted the   young man stating, “Don’t f##?!g touch me.” P/O Corcoran continued to walk   toward the young man who was backing up with his hands out in front of him   making no contact with the officer.    P/O Corcoran then pushed the young man, grabbed him by the chest,   threw him against the side of his police vehicle, handcuffed him and threw   him into the back of his vehicle.  P/O   Corcoran then sped off with the victim in the back seat.  The entire incident was caught on   videotape. P/O Corcoran then drove the victim to an unknown street off of north   Broad St.  On the way, the victim asked   why he was being arrested, and P/O Corcoran claimed it was for public   intoxication.  P/O Corcoran did not   prepare any of the required police paperwork for a public intoxication   arrest, had no evidence that the victim was intoxicated, and was in fact   driving in the opposite direction of the 17th Police District   where P/O Corcoran was assigned.  It   was at this time that the victim told P/O Corcoran that he had never been   arrested before and was an Operation Iraqi Freedom war veteran.  After hearing this information, P/O Corcoran returned back to the area of 13th and Rodman Streets,   uncuffed the victim, and released him without charges.  The entire incident took approximately 16   minutes. Officer Kevin Corcoran turned himself into Internal Affairs this   morning and is currently being processed by police.  ADA Michael Bonner of SIU is specially   assigned to this case.