PHILADELPHIA _ Over the weekend, cops organized efforts to help cover the legal costs of Philadelphia Police Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna Jr., who turned himself in Monday on aggravated assault and other charges after videos emerged showed him striking a protesting Temple University student and others.
One officer started a GoFundMe for Bologna, which collected more than $22,000 as of Monday morning. And on Twitter, the FOP announced that it would begin raising money for Bologna this week, too, by selling T-shirts for $20 a pop at its headquarters. The shirts feature the union's logo, and a new slogan in large blue and white letters on a black background: Bologna Strong.
Several cops attempted to organize a "blue flu," or mass move for officers to call in sick, in advance of Saturday demonstrations that drew thousands to Center City, prompting police commanders to send memos to staff warning such a move would only endanger the safety of fellow officers.
