Judge OKs Woman’s Civil Case Against Neighbor

A Havertown woman, who claims that her neighbor’s alleged influence with the Haverford Township Police Department led to a claim of police abuse, can go through with her civil case against her neighbor, a federal judge has allowed.

In a Monday, June 6, memorandum, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter stated that Janet Watson can proceed with her civil case against her neighbor John Pili after he tried to get charges—that he allegedly had police officers to harass Watson—against him dismissed. 

According to his memorandum, which accompanies this article below the picture, Buckwalter stated the case started when Watson claimed that on Monday, Nov. 17, 2008, she was raking her leaves when Pili, with whom it was stated they had an “ongoing feud,” allegedly used his “influence” over the Haverford Township Police Department to have officers come to Watson’s home and harass her.

According to Watson’s claim, Pili was apparently a former employee of the township and allegedly used his influence and contacted "Haverford Township and the Haverford Township Police Department to direct Defendant John Doe 1," according to the memorandum, to have a police officer come to Watson’s home and purportedly harass her, Buckwalter wrote.

Haverford Township could only confirmed to the Haverford-Havertown Patch on Tuesday afternoon that Pili was a code enforcement officer for the township from March 6, 2000 until July 29, 2005, but could not divulge anymore information about Pili because of employment law restrictions.

Officer Harvey Pike arrived outside of Watson’s home at around 4:30 p.m and asked her for her driver’s license, the memorandum stated. When she inquired several times as to why he needed it, Pike allegedly stated, “Because I’m asking you for it,” according to the memorandum.

Watson then went into her house and called 911 to complain that a police officer was allegedly harassing her, the memorandum stated, adding that Watson claimed that Pike allegedly went into her house without probable cause or a search warrant.

“Defendant Pike allegedly approached Ms. Watson, ‘forcefully ripped the phone from her hand,’ and said, ‘I told you I would arrest you if you didn’t give me your driver’s license.’ Defendant Pike then began screaming and threw Ms. Watson down to the kitchen table. He ‘forcefully began pulling, bending and striking (Ms. Watson’s) arms and upper extremities,’ and then restrained her arms behind her back with handcuffs, cutting off circulation to her hands,” Buckwalter wrote in his memorandum.

Allegedly, Pike threaten to arrest Watson's 85-year-old mother when she asked what was going on, Buckwalter wrote, adding that the mother was present during the incident in the kitchen.

At this point, co-defendant and patrolman Steven Gill came to the house and helped Pike as they dragged Watson into a patrol car, while Pike was allegedly screaming at her, inches from her face and denying her requests for her shoes and coat, the memorandum stated.

Watson was placed in a jail cell in the Haverford Police Department, which was under the control of officers only referred to as John Doe 2 and John Doe 3, according to the memorandum.

“According to Ms. Watson, she was chained to a bench, not permitted to call her attorney, not given sustenance, not given medical attention for the injuries she sustained at the hands of Defendants Pike and Gill, was forced to beg for toilet paper, and was forced to go to the bathroom “in an area visible to male officers,” the memorandum stated.

The following day, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008, Watson was arraigned on charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, among other things, when she allegedly became ill and fainted in the district courtroom, Buckwalter wrote in his memorandum.

Watson was taken to a hospital where she was treated for her injuries. The commonwealth later dropped the charges against her prior to her preliminary hearing, the judge wrote. 

Watson filed a civil suit against the Haverford Township Police Department, Haverford Township, Pike, Gill and Pili on November 2010, Buckwalter wrote. According to court documents, she is demanding $6 million.

In January of this year, Pili filed a motion to have the charges against him dismissed, Buckwalter wrote, adding that Pili stated that he could not be held accountable for what the police allegedly did to Watson.

But in his memorandum, Buckwalter wrote that Watson provided enough evidence to “infer the requisite level of collaboration” allegedly between Pili and the officers. Buckwalter denied Pili’s request to have the charges dropped.

Buckwalter wrote that Watson claims that she suffered physical injuries, has suffered severe emotional damages, humiliation, embarrassment and damage to her reputation from the alleged incident.

Patch has left voice messages and emails for media liaison Sgt. Shant Bedrossian and Deputy Police Chief John Viola on late Tuesday afternoon. They were out of the office on Tuesday and Patch is waiting to hear back from them. 

However, early Tuesday night Police Chief Carmen Pettine replied to an email sent by Patch.

“I can confirm that a lawsuit was filed. Understand that I am prohibited from making any comments as this is in litigation.  I don't know too much about this anyway as I was not even employed by Haverford at the time of the incident,” he wrote, adding, “Remember these are allegations listed in a civil suit and not necessarily fact.”

It should be noted that Watson and her husband and co-plaintiff William Watson voluntarily dismissed Pettine from the suit, the memorandum stated.

Pettine referred all questions to attorney Mark Raith of Holsten & Associates. Patch is waiting for Raith to return a voicemail message left to him early Tuesday evening.

Watson called Patch after receiving a message left on her front door by the news website and said she would not like to comment about the case.

Pili answered his home telephone and told Patch that he would not want to comment on the alleged incident, adding that Patch could speak to his attorney. However Pili did not provide his attorney’s name or contact information before he quickly hung up.

Township President and 9th Ward Commissioner William F. Wechsler said that he could not comment on pending litigation and referred Patch to township attorney Jim Byrne.

Patch is awaiting a response from Byrne after Patch sent him an email early Tuesday evening.

Patch is also waiting for the Delaware County D.A.’s office to reply to an email and voice message left early Tuesday evening about the case.

Patch will keep its readers updated as the story develops.