Norristown resident Juanita Uribe speaks during a Feb. 5, 2026 town hall at Municipal Hall in Norristown. (Rachel Ravina – MediaNews Group).
The fractured relationship between the Norristown community and its police force was on full display this week in the reactions and response to the video showing a naked man being struck by a police vehicle.
An evening town hall provided a space for people to bring their grievances with municipal authorities, including Norristown Police Chief Mike Trail, following a viral video of a Norristown police officer in a cruiser accelerating into an unarmed man Wednesday morning.
“How is the public supposed to trust you ever again?” asked East Norriton Township resident Kristi Yingling.
“You and I watched the same video. So yeah, we’ve got a trust problem,” Trail said.
‘Norristown can and must do better’
The officer has since been placed on paid administrative leave while the Montgomery County Detective Bureau conducts a “use of force” investigation.
Trail said he could not comment on details pertaining to the Wednesday morning incident as the process plays out.
He did say the “use of force regarding the vehicle striking the individual is under investigation.”
“We really want to give the public as much information as we can, but again, we’re restricted to the investigation,” Municipal Administrator Leonard Lightner told The Times Herald, adding as “soon as we’re able to release things, we will release things to the public and keep them informed.
Anger and frustration
Around 40 people showed up to the Thursday evening forum called by Norristown Municipal Council, demanding answers from top municipal officials surrounding the incident and police conduct.
“Asking for accountability is not anti-police. It’s pro-community and pro-life. Norristown can and must do better,” said Philadelphia resident Annie Mosakowski.
Norristown resident Juanita Uribe told The Times Herald that what “happened in that video is completely unacceptable, and we need accountability as a community.”
“We don’t trust Chief Trail,” Uribe said. “We don’t trust the Norristown police — a lot of us do not — and I think that this could have been a really good opportunity to show us that we can trust them, and that they are working with us, and that they do serve us, and that is not how I felt leaving this meeting.”
Macedonia Ministries Pastor Scott Dorsey talked of the need to “search for truth that this community deserves” as officials work to rebuild an apparent broken foundation. Dorsey said “trust, transparency, truth” were the three key objectives needed to be addressed, and he needs “to see the police out in the community discussing this issue” with residents whose community was thrust into the spotlight now that “this video is all over the place.”
“There is a large portion of this community that does not trust the police,” said Norristown resident Amber Queen.
The video which was obtained by MediaNews Group and was circulated on social media by members of the community shows the naked person repeatedly hitting the hood of a truck stopped on Airy Street at the intersection. The man walked toward a police cruiser before pacing between the two vehicles.
The police cruiser then backed up away from the person and stopped as one other vehicle on the opposite side of Airy street traveled through the intersection and the other turned right onto Stanbridge Street.
Another police vehicle on Airy street with flashing lights in the video is seen pulling forward and hitting the man, who went airborne some several feet away before hitting the ground. Five police officers then ran over and surrounded the individual. The unidentified individual was taken to a hospital, but the status of his condition has not been released.
The other officers shown in the video still remain on the job, Trail told town hall attendees.
“I don’t think that that one person should be the only one held accountable, nor should they be the fall guy,” Queen said, asserting there are systemic issues within the department that must be remedied.
“When we get that investigation into [the] Norristown Police Department’s hands, everyone who’s related to that call for service on that day will be evaluated. Their actions will be scrutinized,” Trail said.
The Feb. 4 incident marked the first major hurdle in Trail’s tenure as leader of the department sworn in last fall to protect more than 35,000 residents. Trail was named the fourth police chief since former Chief Mark Talbot left the municipal force in 2021, filling the third vacancy in three years. The municipality and its law enforcement agency faced public scrutiny over transparency concerns and the tenuous relationship with former Chief Jacqueline Bailey-Davis, which led to her eventual resignation in 2024.
Municipal review of police
During Thursday’s town hall, Norristown resident Yvonne Platts referenced that a “data analysis report was done” back in 2023, which referred to a $72,185 consulting contract for the Norristown Police Department to undergo a review of its police services.
The agreement’s scope spanned the gamut, as consultants were tasked with assessing several facets including workplace culture, operations, overtime, and work processes. It produced nearly 100 different recommendations, but it’s unclear if they’ve been implemented by municipal leadership.
“These recommendations that were given to us to strengthen our police department … I don’t know where they are,” Platts said.
Trail confirmed he’s aware of the study as a “comprehensive plan” and a “well written document.” However, Trail said, “It’s not my study to release.”
“You’ve been here 10 weeks. It is your study,” said Norristown resident Kia Boynes.
The distrust between Norristown residents and police is not new. Queen noted that “historically in Norristown, we have had cops who are a little bit on the aggressive side, and that’s why the community does not trust them, and has not for a long time.”
Community suspicious amid ICE presence
The community has been on high alert over the last year as federal agents continue conducting immigration enforcement operations.
“We obviously have been having a lot of issues with ICE over the last year. The presence of ICE is here,” Queen said. “Every single day we see the police out cooperating with ICE, even though we’re being told that they’re not cooperating with them, and we don’t trust them.”
The municipality issued an immigration-related policy last year, and Trail has maintained “the Norristown Police Department does not engage in immigration enforcement activities by any means.”
“We will comply with the lawful requirements that are placed upon us when such times arise that immigration is in town conducting operations, but our focus is to maintain the trust of the community, and let them know that we are trusted partners in taking care of the people who are here in Norristown,” Trail told The Times Herald in November.
Unides Para Servir Norristown Executive Director Denisse Agurto observed that fear firsthand among community members who rely on the organization’s services, she said, making it difficult for people to feel they can call police when needed.
Agurto said “they have more than 10 videos, and they don’t want to contact any of the detectives because they are afraid.” She added, “They call me instead of 911.”
Dorsey agreed.
“Trust is an issue for the police to get back out, because it’s just not you, we see ICE all around,” Dorsey said. “So I don’t trust anyone … other than God.”
Taking in the comments from the Feb. 5 town hall, Norristown Municipal Council President Rashaad Bates assured community members that their “frustrations and their questions were 100 percent valid.” Trail too emphasized “their frustrations and concerns are justified, they’re warranted and I hear them.”
