Philadelphia Cop Joseph Griffin Arrested for Domestic Violence

Joseph Griffin, an eight-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, was arrested today for allegedly physically assaulting his wife.

The arrest is the result of an ongoing investigation by Philadelphia PD internal affairs and the District Attorney’s office. Griffin has been suspended for 30 days with the intent to dismiss by Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsay. He was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, simple assault, terroristic threats, harassment, intimidation of a victim, and recklessly endangering another person.

Griffin is 30, and assigned to the 8th District, which covers Far Northeast Philadelphia east of Roosevelt Boulevard. According to a statement issued by the District Attorney’s office, Griffin is being processed by police after turning himself in to internal affairs earlier today.

The arrest comes just a few days after the Daily News ran the sobering numbers on police domestic abuse: 164 complaints, but only 3 successful prosecutions.

One who was successfully prosecuted previously was Ricardo Gonzalez who, when off duty, assaulted his wife in their North Philadelphia home in 2012. In a different case, however, Rosaura Torres of Northeast Philly says she wrote a letter to the police department protesting a promotion of her husband in 2001, citing spousal abuse. He got the promotion anyway.