In a crossover episode nobody ever imagined, Fox drama “Empire” meets the Allentown Metropolis Corridor after considered one of it’s staff was simply accused of fabricating an alleged hate crime from January. Now, every part is coming to mild, and LaTarsha Brown is on the middle of all of it.
On Monday (March 24), Allentown, Pa. Chief of Police Charles Roca introduced Brown has been charged with tampering with or fabricating bodily proof and false studies to legislation enforcement, in keeping with the New York Publish. This comes simply two months after she claimed a noose was intentionally positioned on her work desk in Metropolis Corridor. As you’ll be able to anticipate, the surprising January revelation despatched civil rights teams and several other authorities companies right into a frenzy.
The Morning Name first reported a deep investigation into the matter was underway. Neighborhood activist Pas Simpson even referred to as for the FBI to take over the Allentown Police Division’s investigation. “It has to go federal as a result of it is a hate crime,” he mentioned throughout a January rally. However now, it appears the wrongdoer behind the hate crime is none apart from the alleged sufferer herself.
Through the investigation, each worker who had entry to the ground the place the noose was discovered was requested to submit their DNA, in keeping with Capt. Steve Milkovits. “Each worker agreed, apart from Ms. Brown,” he mentioned throughout a press convention earlier than including, “Initially cooperative, Ms. Brown requested that the investigation be discontinued.”
That’s when Brown’s alleged scheme began to disintegrate. She allegedly made “obscure statements and gave misleading solutions” to police in the course of the probe, in keeping with an affidavit obtained by the Morning Name. And to make issues even worse, when her DNA was lastly acquired by means of a courtroom order, officers discovered a match.
On March 10, investigators discovered Brown’s DNA matched with swabs taken from the outer floor and inside knotted portion of the noose, Dailymail.com reported. Nobody else’s examined DNA was a match.
On the identical time, officers couldn’t join anybody on workplace safety footage to the alleged crime, forcing all eyes again on Brown. Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk mentioned the fees towards Brown had been “surprising.” He continued adding, “It’s doubly surprising that an worker would— that she would have fabricated this incident.”
Her alleged hoax attracts comparisons to that of actor and singer Jussie Smollett, who in 2020 alleged he was bodily attacked by a number of racist white males, as The Root beforehand reported. A proper investigation into the matter discovered Smollett made up the assault. He was finally sentenced to 5 years behind bars regardless of sustaining his innocence to today.
For now, Brown will get to maintain her job as a Metropolis Corridor worker and her function on the Allentown Faculty Board, Dailymail.com reported. She is scheduled for a preliminary courtroom listening to on April 22.