mjcek
11-01-2007, 10:25
WEST OAK LANE - October 31, 2007 - Officials have announced that the officer who was shot during a holdup Wednesday has died. The massive manhunt continues for the gunman.
During a news conference at Philadelphia Police headquarters, Mayor John Street and Police Comissioner Sylvester Johnson announced that Officer Charles Cassidy died at 9:40 a.m on Thursday.
"They are a great Philadelphia family. They are a strong family. They are going to be in all of our prayers," said Street about Cassidy's family, "as we work our way through this very tragic moment."
A prayer service to remember Officer Cassidy will be held Friday morning at 10 o'clock at Philadelphia City Hall.
All day and night, uniformed police officers swarmed the streets surrounding 66th Avenue and Broad Street. The crime scene unit searched for clues as the search for the suspect continued just a few blocks away. Officer Charles Cassidy's marked police vehicle still sat in the parking lot outside the Dunkin Donuts until late in the afternoon.
Around 10:30 a.m., Officer Cassidy made his daily stop to check on things at the donut shop. He was in uniform when he walked right into the store.
"He actually walks into a robbery, a holdup, unbeknownst to him," Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said. The robber shot him almost immediately.
Police released portions of a chilling videotape that shows the hooded robber pushing aside two customers and waving a gun as he approaches the counter at a Dunkin' Donuts. It also shows him grabbing the fallen officer's pistol as he fled.
"Before he can do anything at all, he's shot," Johnson said. He said the officer had his hand on his gun when he was hit, falling to the ground just outside the shop's entrance.
The suspect can be seen picking up the officer's gun as he fled the store. The surveillance tape was sent to the FBI labs for enhancing.
Sandra Kim was behind the doughtnut shop counter when the armed suspect shot Officer Cassidy in the head.
"I am just upset because I know the cop. He don't deserve it. He's such a good person," she said.
Officer Cassidy stopped each day to check the safety of employees at the store. This time, he walked in moments after the masked gunman pointed a weapon at the employees and demanded money.
"He just demanded money. I guess the robber got startled and shot him in the head," said Kim.
Hundreds of police officers converged on the scene. The crime scene unit started looking for clues. On nearby streets, police searched for the suspect first in the day and then at night. Dozens of armed officers responded to each possible suspect sighting.
Police said they are looking for a Ford Crown Victoria in connection with the shooting. They are searching for a black man, about 5'11" and roughly 20 years old. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, tan khaki pants and tan or white boots. He is heavy-set according to investigators. They have now said that he has a spider tattoo on his left hand.
Johnson said the suspect may have committed another robbery at the same store on September 18. Surveillance video of that robbery showed someone wearing a white hooded sweatjacket. No one was injured.
Johnson added the gunman walks with a distinct limp.
Officer Cassidy is a veteran with 25 years on the Philadelphia police force.
The officer was rushed into emergency surgery at Einstein Hospital around 11:15 a.m. The bullet went through the officer's brain, the commissioner said. Cassidy, a 25-year police veteran, was taken to a hospital, where doctors were "doing everything they can to save his life," Johnson said.
The officer came out of surgery at about 1:30 p.m. but remained in "extremely critical" condition, said Alexis Moore, a spokeswoman for Albert Einstein Medical Center.
Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali met with his family at the hospital. A priest who is the president of Cardinal Dougherty High School, Cassidy's alma mater, issued last rites at the hospital, said Donna Farrell, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The sacrament is given to people who are seriously or gravely ill.
The officer is married. His wife is at the hospital. He has three children. Two of them are in college, one is in high school.
Dozens of schools in the area were locked down and transit bus routes were detoured.
James Golden, chief of security for Philadelphia schools, said the more than 50 schools under lockdown were dismissed at their normal times.
During the the lockdown, students and staff were not allowed to leave the buildings, and nobody was allowed to enter. There were no incidents or sightings of the suspect near any of the schools, according to Golden. The schools will be open on Thursday.
LaSalle University was also placed under lockdown. That lockdown was lifted at 3:15 p.m., but all day and night classes were cancelled. The normal schedule will resume on Thursday.
"This is a very, very sad day," Mayor John Street said after meeting with the officer's family at the hospital.
Street repeated his challenge to city, state and federal lawmakers to change the gun laws.
"There are just too many guns," said Street.
This latest shooting follows the shooting of another police officer and 3 other people in the city Tuesday night. You can find details of that incident here. Also, on Sunday, a Philadelphia police officer was wounded in a gun battle that ended up with one suspect dead.
During a news conference at Philadelphia Police headquarters, Mayor John Street and Police Comissioner Sylvester Johnson announced that Officer Charles Cassidy died at 9:40 a.m on Thursday.
"They are a great Philadelphia family. They are a strong family. They are going to be in all of our prayers," said Street about Cassidy's family, "as we work our way through this very tragic moment."
A prayer service to remember Officer Cassidy will be held Friday morning at 10 o'clock at Philadelphia City Hall.
All day and night, uniformed police officers swarmed the streets surrounding 66th Avenue and Broad Street. The crime scene unit searched for clues as the search for the suspect continued just a few blocks away. Officer Charles Cassidy's marked police vehicle still sat in the parking lot outside the Dunkin Donuts until late in the afternoon.
Around 10:30 a.m., Officer Cassidy made his daily stop to check on things at the donut shop. He was in uniform when he walked right into the store.
"He actually walks into a robbery, a holdup, unbeknownst to him," Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said. The robber shot him almost immediately.
Police released portions of a chilling videotape that shows the hooded robber pushing aside two customers and waving a gun as he approaches the counter at a Dunkin' Donuts. It also shows him grabbing the fallen officer's pistol as he fled.
"Before he can do anything at all, he's shot," Johnson said. He said the officer had his hand on his gun when he was hit, falling to the ground just outside the shop's entrance.
The suspect can be seen picking up the officer's gun as he fled the store. The surveillance tape was sent to the FBI labs for enhancing.
Sandra Kim was behind the doughtnut shop counter when the armed suspect shot Officer Cassidy in the head.
"I am just upset because I know the cop. He don't deserve it. He's such a good person," she said.
Officer Cassidy stopped each day to check the safety of employees at the store. This time, he walked in moments after the masked gunman pointed a weapon at the employees and demanded money.
"He just demanded money. I guess the robber got startled and shot him in the head," said Kim.
Hundreds of police officers converged on the scene. The crime scene unit started looking for clues. On nearby streets, police searched for the suspect first in the day and then at night. Dozens of armed officers responded to each possible suspect sighting.
Police said they are looking for a Ford Crown Victoria in connection with the shooting. They are searching for a black man, about 5'11" and roughly 20 years old. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, tan khaki pants and tan or white boots. He is heavy-set according to investigators. They have now said that he has a spider tattoo on his left hand.
Johnson said the suspect may have committed another robbery at the same store on September 18. Surveillance video of that robbery showed someone wearing a white hooded sweatjacket. No one was injured.
Johnson added the gunman walks with a distinct limp.
Officer Cassidy is a veteran with 25 years on the Philadelphia police force.
The officer was rushed into emergency surgery at Einstein Hospital around 11:15 a.m. The bullet went through the officer's brain, the commissioner said. Cassidy, a 25-year police veteran, was taken to a hospital, where doctors were "doing everything they can to save his life," Johnson said.
The officer came out of surgery at about 1:30 p.m. but remained in "extremely critical" condition, said Alexis Moore, a spokeswoman for Albert Einstein Medical Center.
Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali met with his family at the hospital. A priest who is the president of Cardinal Dougherty High School, Cassidy's alma mater, issued last rites at the hospital, said Donna Farrell, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The sacrament is given to people who are seriously or gravely ill.
The officer is married. His wife is at the hospital. He has three children. Two of them are in college, one is in high school.
Dozens of schools in the area were locked down and transit bus routes were detoured.
James Golden, chief of security for Philadelphia schools, said the more than 50 schools under lockdown were dismissed at their normal times.
During the the lockdown, students and staff were not allowed to leave the buildings, and nobody was allowed to enter. There were no incidents or sightings of the suspect near any of the schools, according to Golden. The schools will be open on Thursday.
LaSalle University was also placed under lockdown. That lockdown was lifted at 3:15 p.m., but all day and night classes were cancelled. The normal schedule will resume on Thursday.
"This is a very, very sad day," Mayor John Street said after meeting with the officer's family at the hospital.
Street repeated his challenge to city, state and federal lawmakers to change the gun laws.
"There are just too many guns," said Street.
This latest shooting follows the shooting of another police officer and 3 other people in the city Tuesday night. You can find details of that incident here. Also, on Sunday, a Philadelphia police officer was wounded in a gun battle that ended up with one suspect dead.