The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is putting the city of Philadelphia on notice over allegations that carry permits are being revoked without cause
In a letter to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon warned that DOJ is commencing an investigation into the city and the Philly police over “possible violations of the Violent Crime Control and LawEnforcement Act of 1994, 34 U.S.C. § 12601, which prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law.”
Dhillon added in a statement:
“I have directed the Civil Rights Division, through our Second Amendment Section, to defend law-abiding citizens from local authorities who infringe the right to safely carry legal firearms,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Law-abiding Americans, regardless of where they live, should not have to worry that their city will revoke their means of self-defense.”
It’s unclear what exactly prompted the investigation, though Axios and other media outlets have reported that the Philadelphia Police Department revoked carry permits belonging to four members of the Black Lion Party for International Solidarity, which conducts armed open-carry patrols of Philadelphia neighborhoods, back in February after a confrontation with a police officer.
Philadelphia police sent a letter to at least four members of the Black Lion Party for International Solidarity, including its leader, Paul Birdsong, in February, indicating their gun licenses had been revoked, the members’ attorney, Lyandra Retacco, tells Axios.
- In the letter, Lt. Wanda Newsome says the “visibly armed” group’s conduct during a Jan. 31 encounter with a police officer at 23rd and Diamond streets “created an unreasonable danger to public safety.”
- At least two of the Lions were not even present during the interaction, Retacco says, adding she has asked the city solicitor’s office to immediately restore their licenses. She declined to identify them, saying they did not want to speak publicly about their experiences.
The Black Lion Party is intentionally modeled after the Black Panthers, whose armed protests at the California state capitol in the 1960s led to passage of the Mulford Act, which prohibited armed open carry in California.
In Philadelphia, the Black Lions have not only been doing street patrols, but have participated in anti-ICE protests in the city. If the revocation of permits for Black Lion members is indeed the impetus for the Civil Rights Division’s latest investigation, that would be a solid indication that the DOJ is intent on protecting the civil rights of all Americans, even those who are vocally opposed to the Trump administration.
I wrote about Birdsong’s permit revocation a few weeks ago, noting that Philadelphia is the only jurisdiction in Pennsylvania where a permit is even required to openly carry. That law is already subject to ongoing legal challenges, even as Birdsong appeals the revocation of his carry permit. As I said at the time:
If Birdsong really poses a threat to public safety, then the Philly police should have arrested him, and D.A. Larry Krasner should be prosecuting him. Neither of those things have happened, however. Instead, the police department claims that Birdsong and his compatriots because of their “character and reputation.” That sounds an awful lot like the subjective licensing standards that were struck down by the Supreme Court in Bruen; if the police don’t think you’re worthy of obtaining a license then you don’t get one, not because of objective standard, but based on the department’s subjective assessment of a permit holder’s character.
I have no idea if Bearing Arms’ reporting helped spur the DOJ to investigate the pattern and practices of the Philadelphia Police Department, but either way I’m very pleased that the Civil Rights Division is taking a look at what’s happening in the City of Brotherly Love. If the Philly police really are stripping residents of their carry permits based on subjective factors, the DOJ needs to bring the hammer down, and I have no doubt that Dhillon will do so if need be.
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