Philly Activist Tony Soto Films Cop Who Have Targeted and Harassed Him
I recently found some videos of an activist filming police who had been targeting him. I got in hold with the man, Tony Soto, and after talking a bit realized that he was too well spoken for me to tell his story for him. So I invited Tony to write about his encounters in his own unique way. I am glad I did. It is always more poignant to hear a story from those who experienced it. Below is Tony’s own tale of police state lunacy and the harassment it has brought to his very own life.
You would think that Philadelphia Police would learn to leave civil rights leader & activist Tony Soto alone, considering every encounter law enforcement has with him they not only seem to violate his rights, but embarrass themselves at the same time.
On 8-5-2015 a very disturbing encounter took place when Philadelphia Police Officers In the 15th District targeted Tony Soto and falsified reasons as to why they even stopped him in the first place. What’s even more disturbing is that it’s the same police officer Holloway from the viral March 25, 2015 traffic stop totaling over 5.3 million views on Facebook, and 2 million views directly from Tony Soto’s page. In the March 25the video Mr. Soto was allegedly pulled over by Officer Holloway for a headlight being out, and then Officer Holloway changes the charge to illegal vehicle tint, at which point Mr. Soto shows him a tent permit (Vehicle Sun Screening Exemption) from PennDOT.
In the most recent encounter Officer Holloway still tries to pull him out of the vehicle and ends up pulling on to a neighboring block turning off his headlights without calling for a supervisor after multiple requests to do so were made by Mr. Soto.
Yet it’s what unfolds next thats captured on video by Tony Soto 8-5-2015 ( With Over 80,000 Views On His Facebook Page) showing 15th District Corrupt Officer Holloway and a newly assigned partner illustrating the undeniable truth and disturbing reality that police target individuals, lie and often ultimately end up beating or killing someone without the world ever knowing that person is innocent of any wrong doing.
Tony was at a Press Conference on the 6600 Block of Frankford Avenue the morning of 8-5-2015 with the N.A.A.C.P., Asa Kalif- President Of Racial Unity, and the family of Brandon Tate Brown who was murdered by 15th District Police Officer Dec 15th 2015; as well as other organizations. During the live news conference Mr. Soto watched as Officer Holloway and his partner made their way behind a bank located across the street facing the direction Mr. Soto’s Car was parked. Mr. Soto then watched as the officers changed seats and Officer Holloway exited the driver side to go to the passenger side. As the Press Conference ended Mr.Soto proceeded to go to his vehicle and immediately noticed something wrong and that Holloway and his partner were eyeing his every move. What’s interesting is what happens next, which shows clearly that Tony was already on to officer Holloway targeting him and points out on his car cameras where they are sitting at and what might likely happen next.
“ I wanna show yall something because there are a lot of cops out here watching me right. So people don’t think that I’m paranoid and stuff. I just stepped in my car. Look at this cop! See him sitting right over there? Don’t be surprised if I pull off and they jump behind me. Just so people can see theirselves. And I think it’s the cop that pulled me over March 25th”
Those were my words as I entered my car and decided to pull off. No sooner than I do and get a block and a half away they come flying up behind me. I’m thinking, I called this- I knew it! So I pull over before they are anywhere near me and was thinking about exiting my car but feared them pulling up on me and opening fire saying that I was trying to run. So I stayed in my car and you see them pull up. In the process of this the police were unaware that the community was watching everything and had also caught onto their motive. That’s the phone call I received was about.
In the video you see Officer Holloways partner approach the car and I ask for a supervisor multiple times, because at this point, I am fearful for my life. He refuses my request, then tries to pull me out my car. At this point, for the sake of not getting shot, I went on and gave them my paperwork. When I asked why I was being stopped Holloways partner says “Oh we can’t see into the car [because] the tint.’’ But let’s not forget that they watched me get into the car and my passenger window was already down!
Shortly after this, multiple members of the community show up and start filming and I have someone call for a supervisor. The supervisor shows up and is just as ignorant and dumb as his officers and says that my brake light is not visible, and this is why I was stopped. “Well of course it wouldn’t be visible because his officers were nowhere behind me when I was stopped.” Then the supervisor goes on to say the tint permit (Vehicle Sun Screening Permit) is invalid because it’s something that I made up.
Well that just goes to show he’s just dumb as a bag of bricks because there is a such thing. Actually the name speaks for itself. It’s called a Vehicle Sun Screening EXEMPTION Permit. And the word exemption means the holder is not held to the sun screening law that applies to everyone else. This exempts me from receiving a ticket under that motor vehicle code violation law. In order to obtain this Permit in PA you must make application to PennDOT via Motor Vehicle Form MV-402. But as we know, most Philadelphia Police Officers don’t know the law, they just know how to shoot and kill unarmed men and women.
The sad part about this whole stop (to stray away from the tint issue) is to go back to the tape where you can see Holloway a block and a half away from me when I began driving down the street. It shows that from the beginning, this whole traffic stop was false and set up by Philadelphia Police Officer Holloway to specifically harass me. Also lets keep in mind that Holloways partner writes a ticket for the tint and that makes no sense, because on March 25th Holloway didn’t write a ticket, in addition to all the other traffic stops since where I was targeted and no officer wrote a ticket for tint after being given the Exemption Form. So what’s the real reason I’m being targeted?
As you can see this is just another illustration of the disturbing reality that police officers think that ‘Badges Grant Extra Rights’ WHEN THEY DON’T. Officer Holloway & his partner From the Philadelphia Police Department in the 15th District just got busted AGAIN- harassing, lying and stalking activist Tony Soto. There’s no secret that if Mr. Soto was not recording and the community was not out in full force we might instead be reading about Mr. Soto being shot and killed for reaching for his Driver’s License or an object that never existed. Then there would be the inevitable dragging of his character through the mud by mainstream media. Just as happened with the Brandon Tate Brown case!
This is the untold story of countless individuals who didn’t have the tape to prove they were a target and ended up dead. Tony Soto could have been the next Sandra Bland, Eric Gardner or Brandon Tate Brown; who were all targeted by police and are no longer here to tell their story. And have yet to have their killers in law enforcement brough to justice. Tony Soto’s videos hint at their stories, besides his own, and goes to show that in America no one is safe from Blood Thirsty Cops. No matter if you’re black, white or hispanic. When cops go on a power trip It’s either Comply Or Die! Officer Holloway has yet again been EXPOSED!
-Tony Soto
tonysoto.ts@gmail.com
More videos by Tony Soto…
Multiple dash cam angles from the same stop described above RIGHT HERE.
March 2015 traffic stop RIGHT HERE.
