Did Drexel police use excessive force pinning a suspect with their cruiser? [w/poll]

Jeffrey N. Ross — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Videos, Police/Emergency

Last December, Drexel University Police were attempting to apprehend Walter Johnson, who was was suspected of trying to burglarize local buildings. When the authorities tried to detain Johnson, he fled. And whether it was intentional or not, the pursuit of ended in a dramatic show of force when police pinned Johnson to a wall with their police cruiser. The whole incident was captured on video, and almost a year later, the case is back in the news due to a new parole hearing for Johnson and a lawsuit being brought up against the Philadelphia-area university.

Johnson, who had left a halfway house without permission, was spotted by security cameras attempting to enter several buildings, and when police approached him, he took off running. It's not known how long police were chasing him, but it was all over after he was hit by a Ford Explorer police vehicle and rammed into a building. The force of the impact was enough to crumple the front end of the SUV and shatter Johnson's pelvis and leg. Johnson later told police that he was looking for a restroom, but police said that he and another man he was with were both carrying screwdrivers.

According to a report by WPVI ABC6, Philadelphia's district attorney has dropped the charges against Johnson, but he has remained in prison since the incident for violating his parole. The university itself is declining to comment due to the pending lawsuit, but that isn't stopping critics from accusing the police of using excessive force to capture Johnson.

Scroll down to watch the video report (including a graphic footage of the incident), and then let us know what you think in our poll below.

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Continue reading Did Drexel police use excessive force pinning a suspect with their cruiser? [w/poll]

Did Drexel police use excessive force pinning a suspect with their cruiser? [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Disco ball-inspired side-view mirror eliminates the blind spot

Scott Burgess — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 08:31:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Safety, Technology

The view behind a Drexel University professor has never looked better, wider or less distorted than with his all-new rear view mirror that eliminates blind spots.

"Imagine that the mirror's surface is made of many smaller mirrors turned to different angles, like a disco ball," said R. Andrew Hicks, a mathematics professor at Drexel, who received a patent on his mirror in May.

Hicks developed an algorithm to control the angle light bounces off the mirror making his curved mirror not act like a curved mirror. The mirror has a field of view of 45 degrees, while most regular rear view mirrors on cars have a field of view between 15 and 17 degrees.

While offering a much wider view, the mirror will not make it onto new U.S. vehicles any time soon. Mirrors on the driver's side must be completely flat. Ford has one solution for federal regulations with its blind spot mirror, which is regular mirror that includes a convex spotter mirror in the upper left-hand corner.

But judging by photos, Hicks' mirror offers a much cleaner and less distorted view. It can be sold as an aftermarket accessory, and Hicks has had some interest from manufacturers in producing it.

Disco ball-inspired side-view mirror eliminates the blind spot originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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