D.A. booster claims cop abuse in towing fracas

Bryan Malkowski thought yesterday would be one of the best days of his life.

The 26-year-old Port Richmond resident, who volunteered for District Attorney Seth Williams' campaign, was thrilled to attend the top prosecutor's inauguration.

"I couldn't see how this day could go bad," he said.

But soon after the ceremony, Malkowski said that he, his brother and his father, a retired detective from the city's Major Crimes Unit, found themselves in "pandemonium" with city police and the Philadelphia Parking Authority.

The family claims that Malkowski was punched by a cop and that all three men were threatened with arrest for protesting when their van was loaded onto a tow truck even though it was parked legally in a handicapped space. In an unusual move, a PPA official ordered that the vehicle be released on the spot.

The family said that they were then given the runaround when they tried to file a complaint with the Police Department.

The police denied that any officer had acted inappropriately.

After the inauguration, Malkowski; his brother, Jeff; his father, Brian, and his aunt met for an early lunch at Reading Terminal Market.

Malkowski's aunt, 57, who asked not to be named but confirmed her relatives' story, is handicapped and said she placed her parking placard and identification badge on the dashboard of the van when it was parked on Filbert Street near 11th.

When the Malkowskis left Reading Terminal between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m., they saw a tow truck pulling their van down Filbert Street. Since they believed that they had parked legally, they thought that the vehicle was being stolen by a crooked tow-truck driver and called police.

The three men caught up to the PPA driver, who told them that he was towing the van for being parked in a handicapped space, but later told police that the car had been parked in a no-stopping zone, they said.

Once police arrived, the driver was able to find the $301 ticket - for parking in a handicapped space, the Malkowskis said.

Despite the Malkowskis' presenting proper documentation, the police and PPA driver insisted that the vehicle had to be towed because the towing process had begun, Malkowski said.

While a lieutenant on scene was speaking with the PPA driver, Bryan Malkowski was approached from behind and punched in the lower back by Officer Kenneth Emmett, Bryan Malkowski said.