Family of man shot by Philly cops says police account all lies

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 As family attorney Brian Mildenbergspeaks, Brandon Tate-Brown's mother wipes tears from her eyes at a City Hall press conference. (Tom MacDonald/WHYY)

As family attorney Brian Mildenbergspeaks, Brandon Tate-Brown's mother wipes tears from her eyes at a City Hall press conference. (Tom MacDonald/WHYY)

The family of a man shot by Philadelphia police during a December car stop is renewing a push to prosecute the officers.  

Attorney Brian Mildenberg, who represents the family of Brandon Tate-Brown in a civil suit against the city, is calling for the officers involved in the shooting to be removed from the streets. He’s also pushing for District Attorney Seth Williams to reopen the criminal investigation.

“They lied about what they did to Brandon Tate-Brown.  They lied about what Brandon Tate Brown was doing,” he said Monday. “And when a police officer lies, he doesn’t deserve to wear that badge anymore.”

Tate-Brown died after he was shot by police following a traffic stop for driving without headlights. Police contend Tate-Brown, 26, was reaching for a gun in his car.

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DNA from Tate-Brown found on the gun in his car wasn’t there because he handled the weapon, Mildenberg said.  He asserts the DNA on the weapon got there through sloppy crime scene work.

Williams and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey say they will not reopen the investigation.  Ramsey says his team doesn’t do sloppy work.

“We have people from an accredited crime lab, they know how to process and handle evidence,” he said. “And I have no reason to believe that evidence was mishandled in this case.”

The family is still pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit.

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