Off-duty policeman fatally shoots son of police officers, 15

[WhiteFeather]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/37558114.html

Off-duty policeman fatally shoots son of police officers, 15

It seemed like an ordinary Monday afternoon at the corner store at Broad Street and Chew Avenue, where the clerk exchanged a friendly greeting with two teens who had just gotten out of a burgundy Cadillac.
One of the youths - William Smith, 15, the son of two city police officers - followed another teen who was headed toward a phone both near the store's entrance.

Seconds later, the two teens pulled pistols on Khalid Covil, 19, shot him at least a half-dozen times, and fled, police said. He was in critical condition last night.

"They just started shooting," said the clerk, who declined to give her name. "I live around here," she explained.

Minutes later, Smith would be killed by an off-duty officer in a struggle over a gun. The officer, who was still wearing his uniform trousers with a blue stripe, had witnessed the shooting and gave chase, police said.

"It's a tragedy, since it involves the police family," Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey said yesterday. He promised a thorough investigation by Internal Affairs.

Police declined to identify the off-duty officer, but Ramsey said his account was consistent with witness reports. "A shooting happens in front of you - you're never really off-duty, you have to take action," Ramsey said.

The off-duty officer, a district patrolman who alerted police dispatchers with his cell phone when he started the chase, has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Police said the officer appeared to have complied with department regulations by firing when he believed he faced an imminent threat.

"From my perspective, it looks like a good shooting," said Capt. James Clark, head of the homicide unit.

The shooting of Covil, police said, had its roots in "bad blood" between the teens. Smith and the other shooter, who was not captured, had been stalking Covino for a week to retaliate for a beating, police said.

Smith, whose address was given in the 3800 block of North Park Avenue in North Philadelphia, was a ninth-grade student at Imhotep Institute Charter High School. According to a law enforcement source, he was charged as a juvenile last year with aggravated assault.

Police did not identify his family, but Ramsey said his mother, his father, his stepfather, an uncle and a cousin are all veteran Philadelphia police officers.

Covil was in critical condition yesterday at Albert Einstein Medical Center, police said.

The incident took place about 3:30 p.m. After Covil was shot, police said the two piled back into the Cadillac driven by a third man and it drove off south on Broad Street. The off-duty officer who witnessed the shooting called 911 and pursued in his vehicle.

The Cadillac stopped in traffic near Duncannon Avenue. Police said Smith and the other male, aware they were being pursued, jumped out and ran in opposite directions.

Police arrested the driver, identified as Marcus Powell, 17. He was not charged with the shooting, and is being held as a witness, Clark said.

The off-duty officer caught Smith running north on Broad Street, less than a block away. As they tussled, police said, the officer shot Smith multiple times.

Inside her nearby basement office, a woman said she heard from eight to 10 shots.

When she peered out the window, she saw Smith lying on the pavement under the building's sign.

"His eyes were open for a minute or two," said the woman, who also declined to give her name.

Then came a swarm of police officers, she said.

Smith was pronounced dead at Albert Einstein Medical Center at 4:07 p.m, police said.

Two handguns - a .45 and a .380 automatic - were found near where Smith fell to the ground, police said.

On the 3800 block of North Park, neighbors said Smith and his family had recently moved to another part of the city.

Smith's death shocked teachers and students at Imhotep, in East Germantown.

"He was a good kid, no problem," said Christine Wiggins, founder and chief executive officer. "We don't know what happened."

Wiggins said regular classes were canceled for the day. She said counselors were available to meet with students and staff "so they can talk, they can grieve, and do what they need to do to get through the day."



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Use of Deadly Force
These guidelines are from the Philadelphia Police Department:

Police officers shall not use deadly force against another person unless they reasonably believe they must protect themselves or another person present from imminent death or serious bodily injury.

Police officers should not discharge their weapons when doing so will unnecessarily endanger innocent people.

Police officers shall not discharge their firearms to subdue a fleeing individual who presents no threat of imminent death or serious physical injury to themselves or another person present.

Police officers shall not discharge their firearms at or from a moving vehicle unless deadly physical force is being used against the police officer or another person present, by means other than the moving vehicle.

Police officers shall not fire warning shots under any circumstances.

Police officers shall not discharge their firearms to summon assistance except in emergency situations when personal safety is endangered and no other reasonable means are available.

Police officers shall not discharge their firearms at a dog or other animal except to protect themselves or another person from physical injury and there is no other reasonable means to eliminate the threat.

[NY Refugee]

What a sad day for the families involved and for the officer who was doing the right thing.

[Dredly]

Screw that fucking punk. he got exactly what he deserved, my thoughts go out to the off duty cop that had to pull the trigger.

I don't want to hear about how nice he was or how he was a great student. He walked into a store and shot another person in cold blood, 6 times and then ran from the police

He got exactly what he deserved, How does the son of a police family do something this stupid? Who cares. one less piece of shit us tax payers have to support

[Evolution]

Screw that fucking punk. he got exactly what he deserved, my thoughts go out to the off duty cop that had to pull the trigger.

I don't want to hear about how nice he was or how he was a great student. He walked into a store and shot another person in cold blood, 6 times and then ran from the police

He got exactly what he deserved, How does the son of a police family do something this stupid? Who cares. one less piece of shit us tax payers have to support

I can't say it any better. I don't care if he came from a police family. The kid got what was coming to him. I wouldn't loose any sleep over this that's for sure.

[Stooperzero]

He was a good kid, no problem," said Christine Wiggins, founder and chief executive officer. "We don't know what happened."

LOL same Bullshit answer they always give...





THink about how much of the Taxpayers dollars that cop saved.

[Cole]

Shitty situation all around. Another kid who made bad choices and paid the price.

More and more, I am seeing news stories that leave me with more questions than answers.

1. Who were the registered owners of the guns used to shoot Covil? How/where were these guns obtained?
2. Do the slugs in Covil match the two guns found?
3. Can the clerk identify which gun each of the shooters was using?
4. How did it work out that the police apprehended Smith, but the other shooter escaped?
5. How was the driver Powell apprehended, and why not charged in the shooting? Did he not flee? What was his account?
6. Was it the officer's gun or one of Smith's that was fired? Or both?
7. What was this "tussle"?

Wish the reporter would have spent some time working on getting answers to these questions instead of the commonplace "he was such a nice boy" bullshit that you always hear.

Time will hopefully bring these issues to light, but journalists have a duty to get all these facts and present them to the public. The answers to a lot of these questions help inform opinion and policy.

[5711-Marine]

Shitty situation all around. Another kid who made bad choices and paid the price.

More and more, I am seeing news stories that leave me with more questions than answers.

1. Who were the registered owners of the guns used to shoot Covil? How/where were these guns obtained?
2. Do the slugs in Covil match the two guns found?
3. Can the clerk identify which gun each of the shooters was using?
4. How did it work out that the police apprehended Smith, but the other shooter escaped?
5. How was the driver Powell apprehended, and why not charged in the shooting? Did he not flee? What was his account?
6. Was it the officer's gun or one of Smith's that was fired? Or both?
7. What was this "tussle"?

Wish the reporter would have spent some time working on getting answers to these questions instead of the commonplace "he was such a nice boy" bullshit that you always hear.

Time will hopefully bring these issues to light, but journalists have a duty to get all these facts and present them to the public. The answers to a lot of these questions help inform opinion and policy.

I can hardly wait to see how CeaseFirePA covers this "tragedy"

[customloaded]

Shitty situation all around. Another kid who made bad choices and paid the price.

More and more, I am seeing news stories that leave me with more questions than answers.

1. Who were the registered owners of the guns used to shoot Covil? How/where were these guns obtained?
2. Do the slugs in Covil match the two guns found?
3. Can the clerk identify which gun each of the shooters was using?
4. How did it work out that the police apprehended Smith, but the other shooter escaped?
5. How was the driver Powell apprehended, and why not charged in the shooting? Did he not flee? What was his account?
6. Was it the officer's gun or one of Smith's that was fired? Or both?
7. What was this "tussle"?

Wish the reporter would have spent some time working on getting answers to these questions instead of the commonplace "he was such a nice boy" bullshit that you always hear.

Time will hopefully bring these issues to light, but journalists have a duty to get all these facts and present them to the public. The answers to a lot of these questions help inform opinion and policy.

anwer to #1 Guns, as far as I know, don't need to be registered so that question is inmaterial.

[God's Country]

Screw that fucking punk. he got exactly what he deserved, my thoughts go out to the off duty cop that had to pull the trigger.

I don't want to hear about how nice he was or how he was a great student. He walked into a store and shot another person in cold blood, 6 times and then ran from the police

He got exactly what he deserved, How does the son of a police family do something this stupid? Who cares. one less piece of shit us tax payers have to support

Maybe not how I would have said it, but I have to agree.

[ADerhammer]

Shitty situation all around. Another kid who made bad choices and paid the price.

More and more, I am seeing news stories that leave me with more questions than answers.

1. Who were the registered owners of the guns used to shoot Covil? How/where were these guns obtained?
2. Do the slugs in Covil match the two guns found?
3. Can the clerk identify which gun each of the shooters was using?
4. How did it work out that the police apprehended Smith, but the other shooter escaped?
5. How was the driver Powell apprehended, and why not charged in the shooting? Did he not flee? What was his account?
6. Was it the officer's gun or one of Smith's that was fired? Or both?
7. What was this "tussle"?

Wish the reporter would have spent some time working on getting answers to these questions instead of the commonplace "he was such a nice boy" bullshit that you always hear.

Time will hopefully bring these issues to light, but journalists have a duty to get all these facts and present them to the public. The answers to a lot of these questions help inform opinion and policy.

#4 it says that the shooters went opposite ways.

I'm wondering if the driver didn't know what was going on, just thinking his buddies wanted to stop in from something, and when he saw the shooting he panicked and drove away.