Linconia Residents Don't Seek Help From County NAACP After Recent Melee

Not one member of the Linconia neighborhood reached out to the Bucks County chapter of the NAACP by its 5 pm. deadline Friday to be interviewed for the chapter's investigation into neighbors' claims of recent police abuse.

That was the word from chapter secretary Johnnifer Harris, who along with President Walter “Butch” Bennett said Friday that they were very disappointed.

“It is disappointing,” said Bennett. “I don't know what to say. I don't know what more to do.”

Harris said the chapter can draw up a summary of what it heard at a meeting with neighbors and township officials Tuesday night and what it saw on videos taken from the July 7 incident in question.

“Unfortunately information from the community is lacking, as far as one-on-one interviews,” she said, while adding that community members could still reach out to the chapter by calling 364-1057.

Harris refused again Friday to say whether she heard on the videos the racial slur that some neighbors claim a police officer used during the July 7 incident along Kay Avenue.

“This is an ongoing investigation. I don't know why you keep asking that,” she said to a Patch reporter.

Township Public Safety Director Fred Harran has said he does not believe the officer uttered the epithet after viewing videos taken by a neighbor and from the police cruiser.

The incident began when a longstanding dispute involving a white member of the predominantly black neighborhood prompted neighbors to call police.

Neighbors said the white man tried to run down some children with his vehicle but Harran said officers found no validity in that claim.

Eleven community members were taken into custody that night when, according to Harran, they became “belligerent.” Since then, Harran has said some charges against some neighbors have been ruled out but some will be filed when the township investigation is complete.

On Friday, Harris seemed more upset with former Bucks NAACP President John Jordan for allegedly representing himself to the township as a leader of the chapter. She even went so far to initially claim he told neighbors not to cooperate with the Bucks chapter. But she backed off that claim when pressed on the issue.

Jordan met with Harran soon after the incident and also attended Tuesday's packed meeting. Patch has been unable to reach him.

Harran said he didn't realize Jordan was no longer the county president when he met with him. Since then, he said he came to believe Jordan was a leader of the state NAACP. But Harris, who also is an officer with the state group, said Jordan holds no leadership position. And he is not listed on its website.

“Even if he held a position, the state chapter has no jurisdiction,” she added.

And Harris wasn't the only one continuing to criticize Jordan on Friday.

“This is an opportunistic person who wants his name in the paper,” said Bennett.

Bennett previously acknowledged that Jordan may have a problem with him because he did not support Jordan in a recent political campaign.