PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A woman who was shot in the head by the person serving her an eviction notice is suing Philadelphia’s landlord-tenant officer and pushing the city to make some changes to how it manages evictions.
Angel Davis, 35, recalls the trauma she lived through earlier this year while being evicted from Girard Court Apartments, when she was shot by a private security contractor acting as a deputy landlord-tenant officer under the authority of a private court-appointed attorney.
“Since that day, I have struggled with symptoms from a traumatic brain injury,” Davis said.
She is one of three Philadelphians in the last four months who was shot by such an eviction officer.
“We need to do more to protect those facing evictions from that kind of violent overreaction that happened to me.”
Related
Davis’ lawyer Bethany Nikitenko says they have now filed a lawsuit against the city’s landlord-tenant officer Marisa Shuter, her deputized officer Lamont Davis, property manager Odin Properties, and Girard Court Apartments.
“It was my hope that we can all work together to change this broken system,” Nikitenko said, “not only to seek redress for Ms. Davis, but to advocate for swift changes to a system that is dangerously broken.”
Philadelphia City Councilmember Kendra Brooks says the landlord-tenant officer has agreed to suspend operations until all agents of that office
are properly trained in de-escalation and use of force. But she wants a permanent change.
Related
“Any time we take public responsibility and put it in the hands of private, for-profit entities, we should expect disaster — and that’s what we have,” Brooks said. “The landlord-tenant officer and her deputies are operating recklessly and outside the bounds of public accountability.”
State lawmakers in Harrisburg also say they are pushing for change. Sen. Nikil Saval, D-Philadelphia, said he is working to advance legislation to end the use of private entities in eviction proceedings.
Shuter’s office has not responded to KYW Newsradio’s request for comment.
Related
Related
