Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Chesco D.A. lauds cops in ‘sucker punch’ case
Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan presented the West Chester Police Department with a commendation for the arrest and conviction of Barry Baker Jr., the man who rocketed to infamy after he was captured on video assaulting a victim who suffers from cerebral palsy.
Hogan said that normally his District Attorney’s Commendation would not be given out for a simple assault charge. However, officials from the police and the D.A.’s office said they shared in the outrage sparked by this case.
“It takes a lot to shock a police officer,” Hogan said. “Particularly, a police officer who has been around as long as Chief Scott Bohn, who has seen the things he has seen and he has seen some terrible things.”
Hogan said that he received a call from Bohn, who told him this altercation was one of the worst things he had seen. Hogan admitted his initial thought was that it wasn’t uncommon for a fight to occur on High Street in West Chester Borough, or specifically in a college town not far from the nearby West Chester University campus. But this fight was not associated with the university. This fight was different.
Hogan watched the surveillance videos from 7-Eleven with Bohn after the incident occurred in May 2017 and said he noticed a young man who parked in the parking lot clearly had cerebral palsy.
“Some knuckleheads were sitting outside of the 7-Eleven,” said Hogan, who identified one of them as Baker, then 29 years old. He added that Baker initially mocked the way the 22-year-old victim walked.
“The victim to his credit, ignored him,” Hogan said.
The victim continued on his way into the convenience store, made a purchase, and as he exited the store, Baker again mocked how the victim walked. Hogan said the victim stopped and looked at Baker, who in an unprovoked manner hit the victim in the nose. Hogan called Baker a “bully” and said that law enforcement officers sign up to stop such bully behaviors.
“Your chief was outraged,” he said to the borough council members and public members. “He couldn’t believe that somebody would attack someone, with a disability, like this.”
Members of the public also became outraged over what happened. In an interview, Baker said law enforcement turned him into the “most hated man on the East Coast” as the news of the case spread.
Baker fled the scene following the incident and also fled after he posted bail, which led investigators on a two-week manhunt for him. Baker, of East Fallowfield, was sentenced in November 2017 to three to six years in prison.
“In Chester County we stand up for those who are vulnerable,” Hogan said.
Bohn thanked Hogan and the West Chester officers for their efforts during the investigation and the trial. Additionally, he thanked Sgt. Jeffrey Ditz and Officer Matthew Simcox for their patrol activity during the incident.
“We were very pleased with the outcome and certainly we appreciate the support of the District Attorney’s office,” Bohn said. “I appreciate the work of the men and women of this police department.”