On January 8, Norristown Resident Chaine Jordan was pulled over by a police officer and tasered multiple times. The incident happened right outside the Wawa store on Conshohocken State Road in Bala Cynwyd. After the footage was released, the Lower Merion Police Department launched an investigation into the causes. The police officer, whose name has not been released, reported asking the driver of the maroon Volvo to pull over after supposedly tailgating another vehicle. The 36-year-old woman put on her hazard lights and reportedly missed several available spots to pull over before finally stopping at Wawa.
Following her stop, she refused to get out of her vehicle. Jordan also refused to put down her windows—which were heavily tinted—and two other passengers refused to cooperate. Jordan then claimed that a passenger needed urgent medical care, but the passenger later refused medical attention after an ambulance was provided. The officers, with guns drawn, had a two minute conversation where she refused to provide her license and registration, and instead requested that a supervisor arrive at the scene. Jordan’s attorney, Nadeem Bezar, defended her refusal to exit the vehicle, saying that “[He thinks] guns drawn on a traffic stop is a bit aggressive.”
However, the Lower Merion Police Superintendent insists that the incident was a legal use of force, but notes that the officers didn’t follow the best approach for the situation. The Superintendent mentioned that “[They] can sometimes fail, [their] officers are also human.” The officer is currently facing disciplinary review and undergoing additional training. Lower Merion Police Captain, Gene Pasternak, also defended the officers actions, saying, “there is an unknown risk here. You have the pursuit, you have non-compliance of the occupants. You have an inability to see in the car…These are all concerning.”
Following the tasering, Jordan was taken to the Lankenau Hospital, although she reportedly suffered no injuries. She is facing several charges including drug possession, driving with a suspended license, fleeing an officer, and resisting arrest. In response to the arrest, the NAACP Main Line Branch started its own investigation, where they then revealed that “the LMPD has a history of tension with residents of color in Lower Merion Township.” Community leaders held a meeting on Wednesday January 18, at the Lower Merion Township Building at 7 p.m. where members went over details such as the timeline of events, how the situation escalated quickly, and when to de-escalate such situations was shared to the public.
While the Police Department justifies the actions as legal use of force, the officer has been placed on desk duty. At this point, the Police Department has not revealed any further disciplinary action to the general public.
