Philadelphia Police Officer Shot, Suspect Killed
By Wyatt Earp | February 26, 2009
The officer is reportedly in stable condition. The criminal was shot and killed by police.
I have a question for Commissioner Ramsey: Do you think you should fast-track our issuance of .45-caliber Glocks now, or would you rather hold them up while you and the rest of the bosses work out “procedural differences?”
I anxiously await your answer.
PHILADELPHIA ― A police officer was wounded and a suspect killed during a shootout in North Philadelphia Thursday.
Early reports state an officer was shot in the leg at Germantown and Indiana Avenues at about noon. The officer was rushed to Temple University Hospital in stable condition.
Fellow police at the scene reportedly returned fire, fatally wounding the suspect. (H/T - CBS3)
Good. Strike up another win for the good guys. Reports are claiming that it was a detective that was shot. I’ll keep you posted.
UPDATE: Here are the circumstances surrounding the shooting:
Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Ross said 42-year-old Detective Albert Ford was shot in the leg at Germantown and Indiana Avenues at about noon.
Detective Ford and several other officers were serving a warrant to Kevin Robinson, 25, when a struggle ensued and the suspect fired on police. Officers returned fire fatally wounding Robinson. Robinson was wanted in connection to a shooting from October, 2008, when he allegedly shot and wounded his ex-girlfriend’s uncle.
The detective was rushed to Temple University Hospital with a through and through wound to the upper left thigh. Authorities said he was in stable condition and is expected to recover.
“He’s in tremendously good spirits and the entire city is in good spirits with him,” said Mayor Nutter after visiting the officer. “We been this scene one too many times over the past 14-months or so and the outcome has been very different so we are very grateful that the officer is on his way to recovery.”
“We’re thankful that this time did not turn out like the last few times,” Ross said. “It still speaks to the violence that we deal with each and every day.” (CBS3)
Detective Ford is married and a father of four. Please pray for a full and speedy recovery.
The scene at Germantown and Indiana.
February 26th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
THIS SUCKS SO MUCH I CAN’T EVEN FIND THE WORDS.
February 26th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Wyatt, is there a procedural channel for cops to buy their own guns and then get reimbursed later?
February 26th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
I think the problem with waiting to get reimbursed by the city is waiting to get reimbursed by the city.
February 26th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Wyatt,
Glad the officer is stable.
Glad the bad guy is in Hell.
What is going on in Philly, I’ve never heard of so many cops getting shot in such a short period of time.
I bet this was a first offense for the bad guy and he was never let out of prison early, or just got a slap for a violent crime.
I bet your wife hates you going to work everyday,God bless you and all Phiily Officers!
February 26th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Glad the officer will be OK. What is the latest on the .45 upgrade? I thought that was a no brainer…
February 26th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Wyatt,
did you get your .45 yet?
If you got it, is it hard to carry concealed off-duty, if you don’t mind me asking, I could understand if you do.
You Detectives and Policemen are truly Heroes.
Thank you for doing a thankless job. I’m sure with Pres. Obama crime will disappear (and you will be issued a unicorn with red and blue lights to patrol your great city). sarc
February 26th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
What is going on in your City?
What are the City authorities doing about it?
Are the MSM taking this up and pushing for some way forward?
If no one can get off their butts and DO something, how about:
An automatic death sentence on conviction for anyone wounding or killling a cop, a prison guard or a member of the emergency services? [fire, ambulance, hospital worker etc.]
This would help in 2 ways:
1) Those who have any sense will hear and fear
2) Those who are too far affected by drugs and hatred will be removed for the benefit of all citizens.
Go safely, Frontier Marshall!
February 26th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
I hear that a school cop got shot at Ben Franklin High of Spring Garden a few hours ago too.
February 26th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Banning guns for us law abiding citizens, the usual lib solutions that never work.
February 26th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
“Banning guns for us law abiding citizens, the usual lib solutions that never work.”
I wonder how these people feel (or used to feel) about that:
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/boy_killed_mom_and_shot_dad_ov.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475584,00.html
February 26th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Glad to hear the officer is fine and the scumbag is, well, bagged.
February 26th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Thank God the detective is going to be ok. I will keep him/her in my thoughts and prayers. Here’s to a speedy recovery.
Be safe out there, Wyatt.
February 26th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
I hope the injured officer/detective heals quickly.
February 26th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Dang, Wyatt, has a civil war broken out in your city? We are hearing too many stories about your law enforcement officers being shot. I am so glad that this one has a happier outcome than the others we have heard about. Be careful out there. Some bad guys apparently have an agenda.
February 26th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Semper Fi Usmc8511. I like your post. Now we can combine them to ..scumbagged..unless that term is already in use. If the new .45s are to cumbersome for concealed carry may I suggest the Detonics .45s lineup
an old CIA issue I believe for concealed as well as backup. Why can I see Wyatt going to work though with 2 pearl handeled 7 1/2 in calvary barreled, 1873 colts? In .45 long colt of course. Good luck out there always
for all.
February 26th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Can SOMEONE please explain to me what’s driving these morons to even THINK of aiming a gun at a police officer these days???
Sorry to vent, but I’ve had enough!!!
And who’s rights get preserved first should this a-hole have survived??
I know,..thank God Detective Ford is still alive. But how many people will still think he’ll be back on the beat come Monday morning because all they know about shooting is what they’ve seen on Radio Air Pollution videos or video games?
February 26th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
TGYDBHTM - He’s stable and should make a full recovery. At least that’s the word we’re getting.
Kaveman - When they told us we could switch to the .45’s, they said we had to buy them ourselves and would not be reimbursed for it. Otherwise, we’re stuck with the 9mm.
Crankipants - I only have about 22 years left on this job. Not enough time for that kind of wait.
J. Biros - Thank you. The wife is okay with it - or she never talks about it. My mother-in-law has been a wreck. I tell her what I tell the kids: If I die in the line of duty, know that I died doing something I love to do.
Sully - It was - in theory. In practice, I doubt we’ll ever get them.
J. Biros - I didn’t buy one yet because I knew there would be problems with the department. We still cannot carry them whilst they “iron out” the issues they have with us carrying a real gun. They are really large, probably too large to carry off duty. I usually carry my Glock 17 (9mm) or my S&W .38 snubnose. The .38 is smaller and lighter than the Glock, believe it or not.
Alan B - You know what would help? Seriously? Let us do our jobs. That’s it. And when someone takes a punch at an officer, he should be beaten accordingly. If we don’t slap these animals down the first time, the next time, we’ll be burying another comrade.
The problem is that when an officer uses force in this town, the hand-wringers in City Hall and the media crucify us for it . . . then pretend to support us when a fellow officer dies.
Joemama - A gun ban will never happen. At least it shouldn’t. The problem isn’t the guns - believe it or not, they don’t go off by themselves - the problem is the thug gun owners who have no problem shooting a cop of a civilian.
Randal - And the problem in those cases is the gun? Nope. The problem is the tool who got his hands on one. You could ban every gun in the city and guess what will happen? The thugs would still be carrying them like there’s no tomorrow. I have yet to arrest a person who committed a crime with a legal, registered gun. Just doesn’t happen in Philadelphia.
USMC8511 - It was music to my ears.
Lillian - Hey, come on. It’s me. I’m gonna live forever.
RT - As do we all.
WM - And their agenda is killing cops. That’s fine. They started the war, but you can be sure that we’ll finish it.
Jon - “They’re ivory. Only a pimp from a cheap New Orleans whorehouse would carry a pearl-handled pistol.” - George Patton
Bitter - I wish I knew. I guess it’s the “thug life” mentality.
February 26th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Prayers said.
February 26th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Politics while your lives are on the line… Can you buy your own and carry it? Thoughts and prayers for the injured officer.
February 26th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
I still say we get the judges who hand these repeat scumbags soft sentences. Wyatt’s got too damned many of them in Philly.
OK, if a judge gives a fair sentence, the skel serves it, then comes out and tries to blow away one of Phila’s finest, that’s one thing. But too many of these skels get off easy, then come back to devastate the city again. I’d love to see someone track the judges whose light sentences allowed killers back out onto the street. Screw the Bar Association, which will cry. Screw the ACLU, which will moan.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Wyatt,
If you are worried about a .45 for CC, try the Glock 30. It is shorter than the 17 in both legnth and height - only 2 mm wider, and about 9% heavier. Plus - 10 rounds of .45 cal. I do not own one, but my Marine brother in law and all of his buddies do, and I have shot it many times, it is a plastic weapon, but the kick is very manageable. My bil carries it where ever he goes - I have told him that is frowned upon here in my home state of MD, but try telling a Marine he cant carry his 45.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:01 am
If Charles Ramsay had any sense, he would’ve fast-tracked them the minute he heard of the first shooting of a cop already. Unfortunately, when it comes to guns, he has no sense. Period.
Hoping the policeman in question here makes a speedy recovery. We need more good guys. Period.