Two teens were shot and killed near 29th and Morris Streets on April 19.
CBS
Arrests Made In Shooting Deaths Of 2 Philly Teens
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3)
Police have arrested two teenage suspects in connection to the deadly shooting that claimed the lives of two promising young teenagers in South Philadelphia on April 19th.
Derek Barnes,19, and Anthony Satchell, 16, were taken into police custody early Sunday morning.
Police believe that Satchell was the shooter while Barnes acted as an accomplice to the crimes, both will be charged with murder.
The two teenagers were shot near 29th and Morris Streets in the Grays Ferry section of the city at about 10 p.m.
Both victims, 15-year-old Harvey Lewis and 18-year-old Dominique Smith, were reportedly shot execution-style in the head. Police revealed that the two teens were not the intended targets of the shooters, however they were slain regardless.
"It was just two evil individuals that chose to take two really nice kids lives," said homicide captain James Clark. "As they (the suspects) run up on them, they find out they are not the individuals they are having a problem with and even with that information, shoot both of them in the head."
Witnesses reported spotting several suspects fleeing from the scene after the shooting, but could not provide a clear description at the time. Police credit the Grey's Ferry community with assisting police in their investigation and helping to identify those responsible.
"Wrong place, wrong time. He was just coming home, a short time from being in the house," the victim's stepfather Earl Walker said.
Family members say the victims were good friends who had future hopes of joining law enforcement. Lewis was involved in the Philadelphia Police Explorer Cadet Program, which offers weekend training to youths ages 14 to 20.
Police recovered a 9mm handgun near the scene of the crime.
Stay with CBS3.com for more on this developing story.
Murder Statistics April 27, 2009 As of 11:59 PM Previous Day
2009
87
-9.38%
2008
96
Murders Last 72 Hours: 3
Troll said
9:23 AM, 04/29/09
Suspect Kills Partner, Victim During SW Robbery
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3)
Police are searching for a suspect who fatally wounded his partner and another man during a robbery attempt in Southwest Philadelphia.
Authorities said a suspect approached three men near 65th Street and Cobbs Creek Parkway just after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The three men fled after the suspect demanded cash, sparking a foot pursuit. The suspect's accomplice in a nearby vehicle drove towards the group and opened fire, police said.
One of the victims and the initial robbery suspect were struck by gunfire. Both were pronounced dead the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
No arrests have been made. The incident remains under investigation.
If you have any information, please contact Philadelphia Police.
Cop that was shot in the face 1 1/2 years ago didn't wait for it to happen again...
Suspect Killed After Altercation With Hero Officer
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) A Philadelphia Police officer all too familiar with a life and death situation was involved in an altercation that ended with a suspect being fatally shot in the Olney section of the city Tuesday.
The incident happened at about 1:00 p.m. near the intersection of Lindley and Warnock Streets.
According to police, the incident began when Highway Patrol Officer Richard Decoatesworth encountered the apparently mentally ill suspect.
"That male seem to unprovokely charge the officer and tie him up in an attempt to disarm him," Lt. Frank Vanore said.
Vanore said there was a struggle between Officer Decoatesworth and the suspect for the officer's gun. Officer Decoatesworth was able to shoot the suspect.
"The male then fled south on Warnock and there was another officer at the other end of the block, the male again struggled for that officer's gun and a second officer discharged, the male was struck," Lt. Vanore explained.
Eyewitness said they did warn officers that the suspect was mentally ill.
"I said 'officer, he has a mental problem, he doesn't know what he's doing' I kept saying that," eyewitness Wayne Witherspoon said.
The suspect's family told CBS3 that he was recently unable to pay for his medication to treat his schizophrenia.
Officer Decoatesworth was shot in the face in 2007 while pursuing a suspect.
No injuries to police were reported. The incident remains under investigation.
The incident happened at about 1:00 p.m. near the intersection of Lindley and Warnock Streets in Olney.
CBS
Troll said
9:29 AM, 04/29/09
Murder Statistics April 29, 2009 As of 11:59 PM Previous Day
2009
90
-10.89%
2008
101
Murders Last 24 Hours: 2
Troll said
9:12 AM, 04/30/09
Suspects Found Hiding After Deadly Logan Shooting
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3)
Police arrested two suspects found hiding in home following a deadly shooting in the Logan section of Philadelphia Thursday.
Officers were called to the 1800 block of Ashdale Street after reports of a burglary at about 2 a.m.
After arriving at the scene, police found a man lying face down in a hallway with a single gunshot wound to the head. The unidentified victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
A search of the home led to the discovery of two suspects hiding behind a bar. Both suspects were taken into custody.
Investigators recovered a gun found wrapped in a paper towel and hidden underneath a couch cushion.
Murder Statistics May 1, 2009 As of 11:59 PM Previous Day
2009
92
-9.80%
2008
102
Murders Last 24 Hours: 2
Uke said
11:18 AM, 05/04/09
Damn! Gettin' closer ta last year's record. How long can this shit go on? I suppose forever...or as long as there's anyone left after the smoke clears!
Troll said
11:28 AM, 05/04/09
Murder Statistics May 4, 2009 As of 11:59 PM Previous Day
2009
93
-9.71%
2008
103
Murders Last 72 Hours: 1
Uke said
11:31 AM, 05/04/09
Close. But no cigar. Yet...
Troll said
9:50 AM, 05/05/09
Uke wrote:
Close. But no cigar. Yet...
The summer spike hasn't hit yet.
Murder Statistics May 5, 2009 As of 11:59 PM Previous Day
2009
94
-10.48%
2008
105
Murders Last 24 Hours: 1
Troll said
11:59 AM, 05/05/09
Man Fatally Stabbed In Southwest Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3)
Police are searching for a female suspect after a deadly stabbing in Southwest Philadelphia early Tuesday morning.Officers were called to the 5900 block of Windsor Street after reports of a stabbing just after 12:30 a.m.The victim, a male in his 30s, was pronounced dead with multiple stab wounds.Investigators are searching for a female in her 30s who may have fled the scene in a red sedan following the incident.Further details were unavailable. If you have any information, please contact Philadelphia Police.
Even without significant cuts to the police department, Mayor Michael Nutter's proposed budget could have a devastating impact on the city's criminal justice system
That's what Philadelphia's top prosecutor, District Attorney Lynne Abraham, told city council Tuesday.
Under Nutter's plan, the district attorney's office is in line for a $7 million budget cut.That's 22 percent of the D.A.'s $32 million annual budget.
"I'm asking this body to reject out of hand Mayor Nutter's budget," Abraham said.This is "one of the most disastrous budget cuts in the history of the D.A.'s office."
Abraham says a $7 million cut would force her to lay off up to 100 prosecutors a third of her 300 lawyers.That means justice will take longer extending expensive stays in city prisons more cases will be dismissed and more suspected criminals will be set free, Abraham says.
"Instead of the mayor's budget making the city safer, it makes Philadelphia more dangerous," Abraham told council."It's not just the jobs of 100 lawyers.It's the thousands and thousands and thousands of cases."
Currently, Abraham says 11,143 cases are awaiting trial in Philadelphia, including 453 homicide cases.That number is up from a backlog of about 8,000 cases last year.
Already Abraham says her prosecutors deal with 35 to 40 cases per day.That's less than 15 minutes per case on average.
Several council members grilled Nutter Administration officials over the cuts during the two hour contentious hearing.
"She was slaughtered, slaughtered," said Council President Anna Verna (D-2nd District)."How can any body function an office with cuts of that size?"
"Everybody has had to give up something," said Everett Gillison, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety."I think everybody in criminal justice needs additional money."
Abraham says she is especially outraged because her office saw a substantially larger cut than other elements of the criminal justice system.
The budget for the public defender's association is only proposed to be cut 7 percent.
This was likely Abraham's last appearance before city council.After 18 years, she is retiring at the end of the year.She said whoever succeeds her must have the funding restored.
Several council members also say the mayor's office is being too secretive with how it plans to spend a $13.5 million public safety grant the city is getting from federal economic stimulus funds.Administration officials say the money is guaranteed, but the city can only use it for specific purposes, and it likely will not be able to solve the D.A.'s financial problems.
Lakewood Police are on the scene of an officer-involved shooting that began as a domestic violence call and ended with one man dead.
Officers were at the Mt. Tacoma Mobile Home Park 3214 96th Street South, about 8:30 p.m. for the domestic violence call. It is not known how many officers were at the scene, police spokeswoman Heidi Hoffman said.
Early scanner reports suggested someone charged at an officer with a knife. An ambulance responded to the scene, but the man was already dead.
Arrests Made In Shooting Deaths Of 2 Philly Teens
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3)Police have arrested two teenage suspects in connection to the deadly shooting that claimed the lives of two promising young teenagers in South Philadelphia on April 19th.
Derek Barnes,19, and Anthony Satchell, 16, were taken into police custody early Sunday morning.
Police believe that Satchell was the shooter while Barnes acted as an accomplice to the crimes, both will be charged with murder.
The two teenagers were shot near 29th and Morris Streets in the Grays Ferry section of the city at about 10 p.m.
Both victims, 15-year-old Harvey Lewis and 18-year-old Dominique Smith, were reportedly shot execution-style in the head. Police revealed that the two teens were not the intended targets of the shooters, however they were slain regardless.
"It was just two evil individuals that chose to take two really nice kids lives," said homicide captain James Clark. "As they (the suspects) run up on them, they find out they are not the individuals they are having a problem with and even with that information, shoot both of them in the head."
Witnesses reported spotting several suspects fleeing from the scene after the shooting, but could not provide a clear description at the time. Police credit the Grey's Ferry community with assisting police in their investigation and helping to identify those responsible.
"Wrong place, wrong time. He was just coming home, a short time from being in the house," the victim's stepfather Earl Walker said.
Family members say the victims were good friends who had future hopes of joining law enforcement. Lewis was involved in the Philadelphia Police Explorer Cadet Program, which offers weekend training to youths ages 14 to 20.
Police recovered a 9mm handgun near the scene of the crime.
Stay with CBS3.com for more on this developing story.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
April 27, 2009
As of 11:59 PM Previous Day
2009
2008
Murders Last 72 Hours: 3
Suspect Kills Partner, Victim During SW Robbery
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3)Authorities said a suspect approached three men near 65th Street and Cobbs Creek Parkway just after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The three men fled after the suspect demanded cash, sparking a foot pursuit. The suspect's accomplice in a nearby vehicle drove towards the group and opened fire, police said.
One of the victims and the initial robbery suspect were struck by gunfire. Both were pronounced dead the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
No arrests have been made. The incident remains under investigation.
If you have any information, please contact Philadelphia Police.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Suspect Killed After Altercation With Hero Officer
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) A Philadelphia Police officer all too familiar with a life and death situation was involved in an altercation that ended with a suspect being fatally shot in the Olney section of the city Tuesday.The incident happened at about 1:00 p.m. near the intersection of Lindley and Warnock Streets.
According to police, the incident began when Highway Patrol Officer Richard Decoatesworth encountered the apparently mentally ill suspect.
"That male seem to unprovokely charge the officer and tie him up in an attempt to disarm him," Lt. Frank Vanore said.
Vanore said there was a struggle between Officer Decoatesworth and the suspect for the officer's gun. Officer Decoatesworth was able to shoot the suspect.
"The male then fled south on Warnock and there was another officer at the other end of the block, the male again struggled for that officer's gun and a second officer discharged, the male was struck," Lt. Vanore explained.
Eyewitness said they did warn officers that the suspect was mentally ill.
"I said 'officer, he has a mental problem, he doesn't know what he's doing' I kept saying that," eyewitness Wayne Witherspoon said.
The suspect's family told CBS3 that he was recently unable to pay for his medication to treat his schizophrenia.
Officer Decoatesworth was shot in the face in 2007 while pursuing a suspect.
No injuries to police were reported. The incident remains under investigation.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS
April 29, 2009
As of 11:59 PM Previous Day
2009
2008
Murders Last 24 Hours: 2
Suspects Found Hiding After Deadly Logan Shooting
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3)Officers were called to the 1800 block of Ashdale Street after reports of a burglary at about 2 a.m.
After arriving at the scene, police found a man lying face down in a hallway with a single gunshot wound to the head. The unidentified victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
A search of the home led to the discovery of two suspects hiding behind a bar. Both suspects were taken into custody.
Investigators recovered a gun found wrapped in a paper towel and hidden underneath a couch cushion.
The deadly incident remains under investigation.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Murder Statistics
May 1, 2009
As of 11:59 PM Previous Day
2009
2008
Murders Last 24 Hours: 2
May 4, 2009
As of 11:59 PM Previous Day
2009
2008
Murders Last 72 Hours: 1
The summer spike hasn't hit yet.
Murder Statistics
May 5, 2009
As of 11:59 PM Previous Day
2009
2008
Murders Last 24 Hours: 1
Man Fatally Stabbed In Southwest Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3)(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Body Found In Port Richmond Home
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3)
An autopsy is being performed on a woman who was found dead in a Port Richmond home Tuesday night.Police discovered the body of a woman inside a home on the 3000 block of Agate Street at about 8 p.m.
A young child was also apparently in the home at the time and was unharmed.
Authorities said the death does not appear to be suspicious, but they are awaiting autopsy results for an exact cause.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS
Philly D.A.: Proposed Budget Cuts 'Disastrous'
Ben Simmoneau
Even without significant cuts to the police department, Mayor Michael Nutter's proposed budget could have a devastating impact on the city's criminal justice system
That's what Philadelphia's top prosecutor, District Attorney Lynne Abraham, told city council Tuesday.
Under Nutter's plan, the district attorney's office is in line for a $7 million budget cut. That's 22 percent of the D.A.'s $32 million annual budget.
"I'm asking this body to reject out of hand Mayor Nutter's budget," Abraham said. This is "one of the most disastrous budget cuts in the history of the D.A.'s office."
Abraham says a $7 million cut would force her to lay off up to 100 prosecutors a third of her 300 lawyers. That means justice will take longer extending expensive stays in city prisons more cases will be dismissed and more suspected criminals will be set free, Abraham says.
"Instead of the mayor's budget making the city safer, it makes Philadelphia more dangerous," Abraham told council. "It's not just the jobs of 100 lawyers. It's the thousands and thousands and thousands of cases."
Currently, Abraham says 11,143 cases are awaiting trial in Philadelphia, including 453 homicide cases. That number is up from a backlog of about 8,000 cases last year.
Already Abraham says her prosecutors deal with 35 to 40 cases per day. That's less than 15 minutes per case on average.
Several council members grilled Nutter Administration officials over the cuts during the two hour contentious hearing.
"She was slaughtered, slaughtered," said Council President Anna Verna (D-2nd District). "How can any body function an office with cuts of that size?"
"Everybody has had to give up something," said Everett Gillison, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety. "I think everybody in criminal justice needs additional money."
Abraham says she is especially outraged because her office saw a substantially larger cut than other elements of the criminal justice system.
The budget for the public defender's association is only proposed to be cut 7 percent.
This was likely Abraham's last appearance before city council. After 18 years, she is retiring at the end of the year. She said whoever succeeds her must have the funding restored.
Several council members also say the mayor's office is being too secretive with how it plans to spend a $13.5 million public safety grant the city is getting from federal economic stimulus funds. Administration officials say the money is guaranteed, but the city can only use it for specific purposes, and it likely will not be able to solve the D.A.'s financial problems.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Lakewood Police are on the scene of an officer-involved shooting that began as a domestic violence call and ended with one man dead.
Officers were at the Mt. Tacoma Mobile Home Park 3214 96th Street South, about 8:30 p.m. for the domestic violence call. It is not known how many officers were at the scene, police spokeswoman Heidi Hoffman said.
Early scanner reports suggested someone charged at an officer with a knife. An ambulance responded to the scene, but the man was already dead.