By now you’ve most likely learned that Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebackers coach Joey Porter was arrested Sunday evening following the Steelers’ playoff victory over the Miami Dolphins. According to ESPN, the former Steelers player was arrested outside of a bar in the South Side after an altercation with a bouncer and off-duty police officer Paul Abel.
The team has placed Porter on leave during the investigation.
According to ESPN’s article and other local publications like the Pittsburgh Tribune Review and Pittsburgh Post Gazette, this isn’t Porter’s first run in with the law. Porter was arrested under suspicion of drunken driving, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest in California in 2010. And according to the Trib, “In September 2006, Porter was cited when two of his dogs got loose from his Pine home and killed a miniature horse at a neighbor’s farm.”
But the articles fail to add that this isn’t Pittsburgh Police Officer Abel’s first high-profile altercation either. In 2008, Abel was arrested on charges that he pistol-whipped and accidentally shot a man he mistook for someone that he had an altercation with in a bar. He was also allegedly intoxicated and had been driving drunk. While Abel was initially suspended without pay, Judge Jeffrey Manning cleared him of criminal wrongdoing although he said, according to the Post-Gazette that Abel’s actions were “inappropriate, imprudent and ill-advised.” Even though he was trying to detain the wrong man, Abel said he was trying to make an arrest, not retaliate. Manning said, “It is not the obligation of this court to police the police department.” As we’re sure you can deduce, Abel went back to work on the police force. The city, however, paid the victim, Kaleb Miller, a $44,500 settlement.
Abel was also the subject of at least three other complaints made to the Pittsburgh Citizens Police review board. One involved Abel’s wife alleging that her husband forced her to accuse the grandparents of her children of sexual abuse during a custody dispute. Another involved Abel fighting with his brother-in-law in the hallway of the Allegheny County Courthouse and still another alleged that Abel slammed a man’s head into a wall when he asked the officer not to shoot his grandfather with a Taser. No criminal charges have ever been filed in any of the cases.
According to a report filed by Abel in the Saturday incident, the officer attempted to restrain Porter after the Steelers coach lifted Flats on Carson doorman Jon Nesgow off the ground. Abel says Porter than grabbed him by the wrists, after which Abel called for backup and Porter was arrested.
According to the report Abel was wearing a body camera but he didn’t turn it on until after he was grabbed by Porter.
This article appears in Jan 4-10, 2017.
Point #1- Abel was not “off duty.” He was engaged in secondary employment. This means that he is working at or for a private company for the City of Pittsburgh. He is paid by the City. He is covered by the City. If he gets injured, he is under the City. Point #2- If Abel was arrested, then his past would be relevant. But he wasn’t. He was the arresting officer. So, therefore, only the past of the arrestee is relevant.
And they shouldn’t be talking about Abels past because it has absolutely nothing to do with Joey Porter breaking the law.
If the officer has a history of abusing his authority,or mistreating people it is absolutely relevant.
As an attorney, I can inform that if an officer is acting unlawfully or has shown a prior history of abusing his authority, of course it is relevant when the facts of the arrest are in dispute, and are contested by various eyewitness accounts, as they are in this case.
The history of the officer is absolutely important….it speaks to his integrity and or ability to uphold the law honestly and in good judgement. In the end, Porter may have been in the wrong but what people fail to realize is, the officer should be a de-escalator and not an agitator of the situation. If this officer has a history of abusing power, I could only imagine what role he played when he was first on the scene and his body cam was off….like any investigation, allow time and the facts to help make the situation transparent. The officers past simply make his testimony questionable, but that’s why investigations involve eye witnesses. If everything matches up, then there should be no problem. But if the stories of multiple people differ and the majority of the stories of the eye witnesses are in sync, this officer’s integrity will once again be called into question. Its guys like him that make it harder for honest cops to be trusted by the community….
I think it’s time the City takes a hard look at allowing barroom bouncers to wear their Police uniforms. Sorry, but they ARE NOT on duty.
if he was “off-duty” why was he wearing a body cam? this story seems odd to me. hope all the facts come out in this.
yeah abel’s history of being a belligerent scumbag shouldn’t discourage anyone from assuming his account of the incident is 100% truthful
sure
Officer Abel was the 9th highest paid city employee in 2012, earning $145,490 that year. He doesn’t need to moonlight. By the way, his conduct in the pistol-whipping case cost city taxpayers $44,500 in civil damages. His past is relevant because it includes a history of encouraging his wife to file a false report of sex abuse in a custody matter. Porter is innocent until proven guilty and the officer’s credibility will be an issue in his case.
This whole thing reeks, let’s here the facts before we pass judgement on Joey. The fact that Able is a scumbag is the only fact we know for certain at this point.
Hey liberal assholes, please read the complaint before alleging untrue shit. He didn’t turn it on because Porter had his hands and it was 10 degrees out and he had it under his coat. He turned it on as soon as Porter released his hands.
The biggest tell tale sign that something is wrong with Abel-Trying to force your own wife to lie about grandparents abusing the kids… It says everything, absolutely everything, about Mr Abel. Every deranged thought, action and his mindset in a nut shell. Whoops, no pun intended
Has Porter even disputed the facts?
Statement from the acting police chief supports arrest and charges; “In order to clear the air regarding conflicting reports in the media surrounding the circumstances that led to the arrest of Mr. Porter, I reviewed video available from several vantage points, including the arresting officers body-worn camera. I have concluded that the officers account of the incident is accurate and our officer conducted himself in the professional manner that is to be expected. Once the altercation began, the officer turned on his body-worn camera as soon as he was safely able. I support the actions of Officer Paul Able in this arrest.
Steve Stevens, I’d love to know who you really are. Considering your account was just created today, January 10th. Why are you so defensive? Related to the case perhaps? Let’s check out that IP address…
this was a crooked cop, sorry but cops are tents to uphold the law and are held to a higher standard, otherwise: turn in the badge.
until good cops stand up against bad cops, all cops shall remain suspect.