Man Convicted in Gun Crime Connected to Phila. Cop's Murder

[Roscoe]

Posted: Tuesday, 08 December 2009 4:05PM

Man Convicted in Gun Crime Connected to Phila. Cop's Murder




by KYW's Tony Hanson

A Philadelphia man has been convicted on federal gun-trafficking charges. One of the weapons ultimately was used to kill a city police officer.

A jury found 33-year-old Stephen Lashley guilty of illegally transporting firearms and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He had purchased two weapons in South Carolina and brought them back to Philadelphia.

One of the guns was used to kill police sergeant Patrick McDonald (above), who was slain in September 2008 in North Philadelphia.

But the jury did not know the gun was used in the killing until after the verdict, when Judge Michael Baylson addressed them:

"The scourge of illegal trafficking in guns is a very serious problem for all of us and for anybody who lives in a law-abiding society. And the tragedy of this case is that one of these guns was used in the killing of a Philadelphia police officer, according to ballistics testing."

Jurors were clearly taken aback -- some literally, as they leaned back in their chairs and put their heads back with the stunning knowledge the gun they had seen in court was a weapon of murder.

McDonald's father, Larry, says he hopes the verdict sends a message -- though that will only be known at sentencing, which is set for March:

"There is no relief in seeing these verdicts for me and my wife and daugter because my son is not coming back. The only relief is that there is justice."

27-year-old Daniel Giddings was fatally shot by police after he shot and killed McDonald.

Lashley is not facing charges in the murder.
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I sure hope this guy gets the absolute maximum sentence, and gets put away for a long time. Like accessory to first degree murder, or what ever is the most time..