Philadelphia police oversight chair faces bribery and intimidation charges

Hassan Bennett, the 43-year-old chair of the Philadelphia Citizens Police Oversight Commission, was arrested Tuesday morning. He now faces criminal charges for bribery and intimidation. The arrest targets a high-ranking official who holds a public role in monitoring city law enforcement.

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office is scheduled to announce the formal charges at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. The press conference will feature Assistant District Attorneys William Fritze and Joseph Lanuti. Mariel Delacruz, director of the office's Victim Services Unit, and Dennis Whitaker, a victim witness coordinator, are also expected to participate in the briefing.

According to law enforcement paperwork cited by KYW Newsradio, the charges stem from Bennett's work as a bail navigator at the Defender Association of Philadelphia. He is accused of selling confidential information he gained during that position. The District Attorney's Office had not publicly disclosed Bennett's identity or the specific nature of the allegations before the news report broke.

Bennett serves as the head of the Citizens Police Oversight Commission, an independent body created to review complaints against police. His conviction for murder in a past case is part of his legal history. He served 11 years in prison for that offense before receiving an acquittal in 2019.

The case connects two major public safety issues in the city: police oversight and gun violence. The District Attorney's Gun Violence Task Force is involved in the announcement. The outcome of the case will determine whether the leader of the city's primary police review body remains in his role or faces further legal proceedings.