EASTON, Pa. — The city's police chief displayed body cam footage of Councilwoman Taiba Sultana’s July 2023 arrest Wednesday night in an attempt to dispel allegations of misconduct by the councilwoman.
Police Chief Carl Scalzo addressed council during a public presentation, noting it to be an “unprecedented situation” in his 30 years of police work.
Sultana, he said, made “allegation(s) of racism, political corruption, and socio-economic bias” in response to her arrest on domestic violence charges in July 2023.
Sultana's two sons, including the 19-year-old who alleged abuse and his teen brother who also appeared in the footage, were in the audience, and two of her younger children sat by Sultana at the dais at the front of the room.
Scalzo opted to show more than 30 minutes of video of the arrest, from the arrival on the scene at Sultana’s Vista Drive residence to interviews with her son and the councilwoman; to her being led to a police vehicle where she was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police cruiser.
'Regain trust'
Sultana, 40, was approved by a Northampton County judge on March 6 to enter a special program that will enable her record to be expunged of criminal charges if she successfully completes its terms.
Besides serving on council, she is campaigning for a state House seat representing the Easton-area's 136th District. She is challenging incumbent Democrat Robert Freeman in the upcoming primary election.
According to Scalzo, Councilmen Ken Brown, Frank Pintabone and Jim Edinger requested and obtained a copy of the body cam footage ahead of time, and they directed Scalzo to play the video as part of his presentation.
“I believe that the endeavor of playing this video, as unfortunate as it is, is necessary to regain the trust of the citizens of this community," Scalzo said during the council meeting. "I say this because I genuinely believe that there are real-life consequences to making statements such as those made by Councilwoman Sultana. My officers will have to deal with those negative consequences for the foreseeable future, and attempt to convince the public that those statements are invalid.”
The video shows footage from a police sergeant's body camera as he approaches Sultana’s 19-year-old son outside the home on July 31, 2023, after police were summoned.
The young man says Sultana slapped, punched and head-butted him, adding she had previously been violent to the point of him requiring medical attention.
Subsequent footage shows officers interviewing Sultana in the home, followed by Scalzo appearing on the scene after being notified by responding officers.
She was charged with two counts of simple assault and harassment and spent a night in Northampton County Prison.
Sultana during Wednesday's meeting did not address Scalzo's remarks or the playing of the video, instead noting during public comment that Wednesday was the four-year anniversary of the police killing of Breonna Taylor during a botched raid in Louisville, Kentucky.
She released a statement later in the evening: "My family has already endured significant trauma, and the release of this footage has reopened old wounds, causing us to relive the distressing experience once again," she said.
A stream of the city council meeting that includes the full video can be accessed on the City of Easton website.
On the scene
In the Easton police video, Scalzo explains the arrest process to Sultana, saying police are obligated to take her into custody as her son had made allegations of abuse and showed signs of physical confrontation. Scalzo details how she would have to be taken to the police station, presented to a district judge, likely offered bail, and would have to find another place to stay that night due to the domestic assault allegations.
After police address several of Sultana’s other children in and outside the home, the footage shows an officer walking with her outside the home and across the street to a police vehicle, where she is handcuffed and set in the back of the SUV.
“Based on the evidence collected on scene Miss Sultana was processed and brought before a judge to be arraigned, and following her release from our custody, the Easton Police Department had no contact with the district attorney and was not involved in this case, other than to indicate that we would not oppose an ARD resolution in February of 2024,” Scalzo said.
ARD, or Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition, is the name of the program that Sultana entered earlier this month rather than take the case to trial.
Before the presentation, Mayor Sal Panto Jr. directly addressed Sultana, who was informed she would not be permitted to speak during the time of the presentation.
“Miss Sultana, your actions concerning your arrest and the negative comments directly to me and city officials need a response. First and foremost, our police department makes the arrest and hands off to the district attorney's office,” Panto said.
“We are not involved politically, we are not involved at all. And to be told that to the public, who now sees me on the street and wants to talk about it… I don't need that. Frankly, I'm too busy to get involved in the drama that surrounds you."
Pintabone said it was "unfortunate" that the video had to be presented to "get to the bottom of all the allegations she made," adding he believed the Easton police handled the situation perfectly.
“And I’m a little upset. This is the second time since May Taiba made unfounded allegations about the Easton Police Department. One time, in May, with Lance Wheeler – it had nothing to do with the Easton police, it was all Wilson – and then again in this situation. I was really hoping that Taiba would have at least apologized,” Pintabone said.
Pintabone added the officers in the video acted “softly, respectfully and informatively” toward Sultana and her children, “and for her to lie and accuse them of doing this for racial or political reasons, I thought for sure she would at least apologize… This is very sad.”
Pintabone said Sultana “owes an apology to the police department, the city, and all the residents in the city of Easton.”
Panto's wife, former city Councilwoman Pam Panto, chastised Sultana during public comment.
"After seeing what I saw tonight on the video, I think Ms. Sultana should be more concerned with her violence in the home instead of all the other issues," Pam Panto said.
"And I don’t think children have the right to be sitting with her. It’s not Bring Your Children to Work Day. The father is here, the children should be with the father, and if you don’t have a baby sitter, stay home."
Entering ARD
Pintabone read a statement from Brown, who could not attend the meeting, noting he would like to see the situation investigated under Act 22 to show council had done its due diligence.
In a statement Sultana released just after being admitted entry into the ARD program, she said: “Now that this case is effectively settled, it's time to seek full justice through the same public channels that the machine has used to defame me and so many others.”
In court that day, Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta said the case had been “twisted around a little bit” due to “political involvements,” and referenced friction between Sultana and Panto, and the police department.
Sultana’s attorney, Ettore Angelo, that day said a separate statement to the judge by Sultana's 19-year-old son amounted to a “recantation,” and the attorney told the judge that Sultana “never struck and never would strike” her son.
Mayor Sal Panto Jr. was quick to challenge suggestions that politics played a role in the case, charging that Sultana was deflecting blame.
“She doesn't take responsibility for her own actions," Panto said earlier. "And she always wants to blame someone else — it's either politics or racism or something of that nature.
"But it's never a reason for her to look at herself and say, ‘What can I do to be a better person?’”
Scalzo also denied any political motivation from police, adding he had arrived during Sultana’s arrest to ensure the matter was handled carefully given her status as a public figure.
Sultana releases statement following council meeting
Following the council meeting, Sultana issued a statement addressing her case and criticizing the presentation of her arrest.
"The court has already reached a decision regarding my case, requiring me to undergo ARD and then dismissal. The mention of the body camera footage was highly inappropriate and deeply hurtful to my family. The unblurred face of my daughter and the mention of my son's name were both breaches of privacy," Sultana wrote.
She expanded on the topic, stating the body cam footage did not discount any potential that the arrest was politically motivated.
"It was unprofessional for this to be brought up, as the released body cam footage does not disprove any political motivations but simply confirms that the incident occurred, something I never denied. The matter has been settled in court, and I am now obliged to proceed with the ARD process.
"My heartfelt sympathies go out to the families who refrain from seeking justice out of fear of humiliation when unjust events occur to them."
"A most unusual disclosure"
Attorney Gary Asteak, who has served as a solicitor, a criminal defense lawyer and a legal analyst, said he found the reasoning behind the presentation of the video to be questionable, noting the chief or the council could potentially be opening themselves to legal liability.
“I think it's a most unusual disclosure that is best left for courtrooms, if the body cam footage would be admissible in evidence and a criminal or civil proceeding. But he may very well be exposing himself to liability by disclosing it for political purposes, as legitimate as they may be,” said Asteak, who does not represent Sultana.
Asteak said body cam footage does not fall under Pennsylvania Right-to-Know law, and tends to not be made available to the public.
In addition to those qualifiers, Asteak added Sultana’s involvement in an ARD program makes for a “twist.”
“It's highly unusual for the police to disclose publicly or to the press body cam [footage] or other police investigative materials while the case is still open, and this case is still open. Just because she was admitted into ARD doesn't mean that case is over,” Asteak said.
