Police-Related Shootings Break Record

Killings by police at 25-year record
Officials say it's a response to widespread use of guns.
By Barbara Boyer
Inquirer Staff Writer

A deadly Southwest Philadelphia confrontation early yesterday led to the second killing of a robbery suspect by city police in as many days and the 19th killing this year by the department's officers, the highest total in more than a quarter-century.

And it's only October.

In yesterday's shooting, a Maryland man wanted on charges of robbery and attempted murder leveled a loaded semiautomatic at a rookie officer and pulled the trigger, police said - but the pistol jammed.

As the suspect struggled to clear the gun and fired a shot, police said, the officer shot him fatally.

Police and Street administration officials say the latest episodes underscore the gun violence officers are facing during a particularly violent time. "It seems that more people are more inclined to produce firearms and shoot at police," said Capt. Benjamin Naish of the Public Affairs Unit. "It's been a dramatic turn for this year."

Last year, seven suspects were killed by police. This year's total now exceeds the 18 suspects killed in 1994, the most since the FBI began tracking police use of deadly force in 1980. Besides the 19 fatalities in the city, two other suspects were shot to death by Philadelphia police outside the city this year.

During yesterday's confrontation, Tabius Cannon, 31, of Salisbury, Md., was pointing his weapon at Officer John Palmiero when Palmiero fired back, hitting Cannon in the chest and left arm, police said.

Naish said an initial investigation into the shooting showed the use of deadly force was justified. The shooting remains under investigation by Internal Affairs, homicide, and the District Attorney's Office, as is standard any time there is a fatal police shooting.

The shooting came within 48 hours of the South Philadelphia gun battle that left bank-robbery suspect David Henry dead after he fired a bullet that grazed the lip and teeth of Officer Ronald Jann. Last week, police also fatally shot a suspect.

Officials say the police shootings reflect a violent time when homicides in the city are up 7 percent over last year, shootings are up 10 percent, and three officers have been shot, including the killing of Officer Gary Skerski in May. The 19 killings by police contrast with New York City, which has not seen a comparable rise in crime and reported only seven fatal shootings by its police so far this year.

"They're just not reluctant to fire a weapon at police," said Naish, who commanded a police district in West Philadelphia before he became the department's chief spokesman. "There's no question that Mr. Henry was every bit prepared to shoot a police officer in the head."

In Mayor Street's office, spokesman Joe Grace said that while officers are expected to exercise prudence in using deadly force, there is a different climate in the city this year because there "are so many guns on our streets."

"It's clear the number of shootings has increased, and that's a direct correlation to the number of guns in our community," Grace said.

The TrekMedic seethes:

Once again, the Mayor and his band of clueless cronies refuse to see what is plainly obvious: a lack of ANY moral guidance, fueled by television shows, video games, Radio Air Pollution (RAP) and the RAP videos that glorify a thug life and the 'gangsta' lifestyle. No one - NO ONE - appears to be around to tell these knuckle-dragging 'urban' losers that such things aren't real life and pulling a weapon on a police officer, who is trained to take lethal action, can and usally does, have deadly consequences!

What would Dr, Huxtable say about this??