Resident says police report did not reflect assault she described; township officials pledge review

During the public-comment portion of the meeting, Joanie Williams of (address provided) described a May 2020 assault that she says left her unconscious and injured and criticized the Springfield Township Police Department for an inaccurate police report that she said reduced her account to two sentences.

Williams said she repeatedly sought an accurate report, provided typed statements and photographs, and only after being accompanied by an advocate from Women Helping Women was she allowed to complete a victim statement. She said the copy of the police report she received incorrectly summarized events and omitted injuries and other details she said were critical. Williams told trustees she later contacted the Department of Justice to inquire about whether she had been discriminated against and sought guidance on her civil-rights options.

Township officials present—including the police chief and the township’s director of safety services—responded in turn. An official acknowledged Williams’s frustration, said that police interactions are recorded, and that staff would review recordings and the department’s documentation practices and follow up to provide appropriate resources. The administrator said he would attempt to identify the officers Williams spoke with and ensure the matter was documented for follow-up.

Williams’s comments were detailed and emotional, including the account of injuries and attempts to secure appropriate documentation. Officials offered to meet with Williams after the meeting and to pursue a review; the transcript does not record a specific commitment to reopen or amend a prior criminal investigation, nor does it record a final resolution on the accuracy of the earlier police report. Williams described a subsequent assault in March (year not specified in her remarks) and recounted similar difficulty getting the department to document the incident.

The trustee chair and staff thanked Williams for coming and said they would seek to get additional information and follow up. The record shows the board heard the complaint but did not take a formal investigative or disciplinary action during this meeting.

Quote (resident): "I was brutally beaten ... I was tossed around my living room by an unknown subject ... to date I have made trips back to the police department saying okay well let me see if anything manifested from my efforts to Simply get an accurately documented police report of my experience of being attacked in my home nothing."