Pennsylvania
Families mourn flood victims killed in Bucks County, Pa. storm
UPPER MAKEFIELD TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) — Family members are speaking out about the devastating loss following a deadly flash flood over the weekend in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
We spoke with the son and daughter-in-law of Enzo De Piero, 78, and Linda De Piero, 74. Both victims were swept away in the storm.
Zack De Piero remembers the call he got from police that night.
“Everything starts moving in slow motion and the ground underneath you is starting to give,” Zack recalled about learning about his parents.
Linda and Enzo were on their way home from one of their favorite restaurants when they were caught in the flood and did not survive. They were married for 41 years.
SEE ALSO: Effort to find 2 children lost in Bucks flash flood experiences ‘setback’ due to weather: Police
“My mom and dad believed in me. Nothing was conditional. Everything was unconditional,” said Zack.
Outside the Washington Crossing Post Office, flowers have been left in memory of Susan Barnhart who worked there and was killed in the storm. Others who work in the businesses nearby say she had a quiet but quick sense of humor and will be sorely missed.
“Everybody loved her,” said Sheila Adamczyk of Yardley.
We also spoke with Dave Love on the phone.
He’s still in the hospital after being caught in the raging waters. He and his wife, Yuko, were on Route 532 when their vehicle got stuck. When they got out of the vehicle the water suddenly overcame them.
“And then another wall of water – higher – came down the hill. It knocked me down. I do not remember if I still had hold of my wife or not, which bothers me to no end because what if I pulled her with me?” said Love over the phone.
Love said he was pulled underwater.
“I went underneath the guardrail. The water forced me underneath the guardrail,” he said.
Love was eventually able to grab onto a tree and was later rescued. His wife did not survive.
“Very smart woman. She showed me all sorts of things I wouldn’t have experienced without her,” he said.
They were married for more than 30 years.
Love needs to have surgery for a broken arm as he comes to terms with this loss.
And officials are still searching for Matilda Sheils, 2, and her 9-month-old brother Conrad Sheils.
The children are members of a Charleston, South Carolina, family that was visiting relatives and friends when they got hit by a “wall of water” Saturday, Upper Makefield Fire Chief Tim Brewer said.
The children’s father, Jim Sheils, grabbed their 4-year-old son, while the children’s mother, Katie Seley, and a grandmother grabbed the other children, Brewer said.
Sheils and his son made it to safety, but Seley and the grandmother were swept away.
The grandmother survived, but Seley was among the five people who drowned, according to the Bucks County Coroner’s office.
Chief Brewer said he hoped to continue the search for the children on Wednesday morning, but due to the weather conditions, it is temporarily on hold.
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Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania ranks third for police misconduct settlement cases
Perry’s story may help understand some of the findings of a Whitley Law Firm study, originating in North Carolina, that analyzed police misconduct settlement figures nationwide, documenting patterns and covering numerous jurisdictions.
According to the study, Pennsylvania has paid more than $59 million total for four police misconduct settlements, from 2010 to 2014, ranking the commonwealth third-highest (an average of $14.8 million per settlement) in the nation for large payout amounts.
New York leads the nation in settlement costs, averaging $73 million per case and ultimately exceeding $1.1 billion in total settlements.
A closer look at Philadelphia
In Philadelphia, the study showed the city paid $54 million for police misconduct cases settled between 2010 and 2014.
The family of Walter Wallace Jr. received a $2.5 million settlement in 2021, a year after Wallace was fatally shot by police while experiencing a mental health crisis near his home in Cobbs Creek.
However, Wallace family attorney Shaka Johnson called the payment “cheap” in some respects, noting that the family has the right to use the funds to honor Walter’s memory. His death, which occurred months after the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, further fueled demands for police reform. Floyd’s death in May 2020 sparked nationwide protests and calls for accountability.
Similarly, Wallace’s killing deeply affected Philadelphia residents, prompting demands for changes in law enforcement policies, training and accountability measures.
The Whitley study underscores the steep costs of misconduct settlements and the systemic issues they expose. The report highlighted the need for preventative issues, such as improved policies and police training, to reduce wrongful deaths.
“Every dollar spent on a misconduct settlement is a dollar that could have been invested in community resources, safety initiatives, and police training,” the report states. “It’s critical that we work to ensure these settlements become rare, not routine.”
The cases of Wallace and Floyd stand as stark reminders of the urgent need for systemic reforms to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
Michael Collins, senior director of state and local policy for social justice nonprofit Color of Change, blames the high number of misconduct payment settlements on strong police unions in this country.
“The Fraternal Order of Police, which acts to protect indefensible cop behavior, they will negotiate as part of the contract ways in which account is very watered down,” Collins told WHYY News in an interview. “They will, you know, protect officers who are tied to, like, white supremacists. They will protect officers who have previously engaged in misconduct, they will erect obstacles that do not occur for investigations into regular members of the public.”
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