Philadelphia police officer arrested, to be fired after allegedly lying about gun charges

The Philadelphia Police Department will fire an officer who was arrested Thursday for allegedly giving false statements during an illegal weapons arrest last year.

Daniel Levitt, a 12-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, faces charges of perjury, making unsworn false statements, and official oppression. The department said Levitt, of Bucks County, has been suspended for 30 days with intent to dismiss.

The officer, who was most recently assigned to the 39th District in Northwest Philadelphia, is the first officer to have been arrested following an audit conducted by the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau, which examined a sampling of illegal weapons cases from across the city. The department forwarded a number of cases to the District Attorney’s Office for further review, including an arrest Levitt made on April 28, 2021.

Assistant District Attorney Vincent Corrigan said during a news conference Wednesday that Levitt was one of a handful of officers who stopped a minivan for running through a stop sign, then searched the vehicle. Corrigan said Levitt filed paperwork justifying the search by saying a gun was in plain view, then testified to that during a preliminary hearing.

While a handgun was recovered and the person who was arrested did not have a license to carry it, Corrigan said evidence, including from body-worn cameras, contradicts Levitt’s account. He said the gun was not out in the open, rendering the search illegal.

Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a statement that “it never feels good to learn that one of our own has been charged with a crime,” adding “it is imperative that police officers are held to a high standard and that they discharge their duties with honor and integrity in order to effectively uphold their oath of service.”

John McNesby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, said the police union would “vigorously defend” Levitt against the charges, which he called “baseless.”

“This officer is entitled to due process like any other citizen accused of a crime,” McNesby said. “We look forward to the day that this officer is cleared of all charges and put back on street doing the job he loves, keeping his city safe.”

Levitt did not have an attorney listed as of Thursday afternoon.