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Hard to believe it's already been a year since a foolish young punk took the life of one of the City's Finest.
Many of the details are still so fresh in my mind: the first buzz of the pager, notifying us that a police officer had been shot with a shotgun; the race down Roosevelt Boulevard to Pat's Cafe, as police helicopters thrummed overhead and cruisers whizzed by in every direction; the stillness of the air outside Temple Hospital half past midnight, when Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson walked across the street and delivered the unthinkable news.
The days that followed Officer Gary Skerski's death were intense all the way around. From a reporter's narrow standpoint, there was the obvious task of covering the hell out of the story, and trying to find out what kind of leads the detectives were working. There was a sense that for the first time in recent memory, the city reached across boundaries, both imagined and real, to rally around the police department.
There was also the horrible, painful reality that Skerski's family had suffered a monumental loss in a violent -- and very public -- way.
Many of last year's 406 homicide victims died in relative anonymity, the details of their demise often summed up in one or two sentences in a newspaper brief or at the bottom of a photo caption.
In a sense, Gary Skerski's death was different because we knew all of the details -- every reporter, cop, man, woman and child in town knew what happened, when it happened and where it happened. As a result, I think we all shared in the heartache and the horror, and there was a palpable desire to see Skerski's killer caught.
After an intense 10-day manhunt, the gunman, Solomon Montgomery was finally captured. He went down in dramatic fashion, driving his stolen SUV through a cop car, running through an alley and attempting to pull out two loaded guns, even after he had been shot. The city exhaled (and thanks to an infamous Daily News cover, everyone had a chance to look into Montgomery's soulless eyes).
It's difficult to sum up all of the different emotions in a case like this. There's no shortage of angles you can explore trying to explain the case or weigh the grief felt by Skerski's friends, family and co-workers.
With that in mind, I long ago opted to take a different look back at what happened in a Northwood bar last May 8. I spent some time interviewing the 20-member Homicide task force that was charged with the unenviable task of tracking down a cop killer. You can read their story here.
Because of space limits, there are a lot of elements that were left out of this story -- like, for instance, the unequaled circus that was Montgomery's three-day preliminary hearing. At its best, I hope the story will give readers a sense of what it was like for the detectives working Skerski's case, and how the circumstances affected each of them. If nothing else, take a second to think of Skerski and his family, who are no doubt going through hell on his first anniversary.
Comments (34)
You know...
I was hanging out with a few teacher buds of mine about three weeks ago in Pat's Cafe. While sipping on some Lager, and getting called "Asshole" repeatedly by some drunk Math teacher; from time to time I looked up to Skerski's picture on the wall. His totemic face assured me that there are still decent people in Philly. That the cops and teachers in Pat's Cafe were not going to let the bad guys win. That there still is a brotherhood of law abiding citizens that will vouch for one another. Employed by the city, yes. But, at least we pay taxes, and spend our time to servicing the citizens.
What we really need in this town is more people that are willing to band together to stop the crime. Like it'll ever happen, but those who work in the private sector have no real stake in neighborhoods any more. They want peace, and they want no hassles. They've deserted the battlefield for SUVs, big houses, and happy days. I had my chance to move to the burbs about a year ago, but a gut feeling told me to stay. I'm glad I did. I don't have to drink with yuppies/kenso-transplants at some chain restaurant. I can drink with others that have not given up on the city.
Posted by Gtown_teach | May 8, 2007 9:20 AM
Posted on May 8, 2007 09:20
F tha police
Posted by Anonymous | May 8, 2007 1:59 PM
Posted on May 8, 2007 13:59
You think you're Ice Cube? Take NWA quote and shove it. Pansy
Posted by Gtown_teach | May 8, 2007 7:58 PM
Posted on May 8, 2007 19:58
F da police
Posted by Anonymous | May 8, 2007 9:27 PM
Posted on May 8, 2007 21:27
That guy is unstoppable! And changing up from "F tha police" to "F da police?" Brilliant. Shakespeare would be green with envy. You know, if he wasn't dead and all.
Posted by david | May 8, 2007 11:22 PM
Posted on May 8, 2007 23:22
Brilliant!
Posted by Gtown_teach | May 9, 2007 7:43 AM
Posted on May 9, 2007 07:43
David,Your dispicable murder tally is sickening.
Posted by Martin lutz | May 9, 2007 12:29 PM
Posted on May 9, 2007 12:29
Why is everyone reacting so badly to thist post??
Posted by Gtown_teach | May 9, 2007 5:08 PM
Posted on May 9, 2007 17:08
Was just wondering that myself. I know in general terms, the Police Department can be a polarizing topic.
In this case, though, I'm a bit surprised at the lack of sympathy for Skerski and his family.
Posted by david | May 9, 2007 5:28 PM
Posted on May 9, 2007 17:28
Dear Anonymous Poster,
To the threat of being gang raped; Please be advised that whomever would try such a thing would have to answer to Mr. 14+1. Also, please clean up your spelling and grammar. I'd hate to have to report your poorly written threat to da' Police.
Posted by Gtown_teach | May 10, 2007 9:41 AM
Posted on May 10, 2007 09:41
Dearest gtown teach,
Please go report the post to the police, please,Im begging you,I would love to take you to court.Ill one up you thats a challenge.Please tape the call,I cant wait to hear when you tell police You want me arrested for saying f tha police,Really,Im scared,Leave it up to one of philadelphias public school teachers to be petty enough to actually threaten legal action on a trashy blog.Let me guess,No other city than philthadelphia would hire you??
Posted by Anonymous | May 10, 2007 10:51 AM
Posted on May 10, 2007 10:51
Oh christ.. you think I'm actually serious as well? You are a dunce.
Posted by Gtown_teach | May 10, 2007 11:09 AM
Posted on May 10, 2007 11:09
Whomever you are..
Are you just pissed off at something you can't actually control? Is that why you just ranting on this board? I find anonymous, ranting jackasses like you the most annoying, and petty part of internet forums/blogs.
Posted by Gtown_teach | May 10, 2007 11:16 AM
Posted on May 10, 2007 11:16
This is why we have to stop and frisk poor black people.We have to keep anyone who makes under 20 grand a year under constant police surveillance.We have to coordin off and stop and frisk the people coming and going from any poor neighborhood.
Posted by Mike nutter republican for mayor | May 10, 2007 2:27 PM
Posted on May 10, 2007 14:27
Dear gteach,
Are you sure you just want to stay in phillys school system,Or is it suburban schools wont take you,I know suburban schools, ya think malvern prep would take you ??? What about penncrest???Great valley school district!! Nah i dont think you could do it!!! They want more of their teachers..Stop fooling yourself..Philadelphia is the only place you could make it..
Posted by Anonymous | May 11, 2007 5:18 PM
Posted on May 11, 2007 17:18
Well... looks like my theory is correct. You just want to rant. You're definitely a small, sad, person. Just reading your venomous attacks tells me you're either young and frustrated, older and bitter, or just plain stupid. Lashing out at people through the cyberspace just means you're desperately trying to inflict damage onto others. Usually this is a sign of transferred aggression through repression.
Anyway dunce. Do me, and the rest of the world a favor. Go hang yourself. That's what depressed, pathetic pieces of flotsam like yourself do; Besides trying to beat up on others on a blog.
Anyway, you're obviously from the burbs(or, again, just stupid), and know nothing of teaching or the Philadelphia district. You can live in the burbs and teach in the city. I chose not to live in the burbs.
Posted by Gtown_teach | May 12, 2007 1:25 AM
Posted on May 12, 2007 01:25
I know people dont like police,But this guy died trying to stop an armed robber,Hes a hero.
Dave,Would your paper support a nutter crime plan if bush introduced it.I cant believe the hypocricy!!!
Posted by Random hero | May 17, 2007 11:16 AM
Posted on May 17, 2007 11:16
So it's 11 days later... we have new Mayor (almost), and you guys haven't written anything?
Posted by Gtown_teach | May 18, 2007 7:56 AM
Posted on May 18, 2007 07:56
Is your new mayor a republican.I cant believe it in philadelphia a republican elected.
Posted by Anonymous | May 18, 2007 10:21 AM
Posted on May 18, 2007 10:21
369,Im just askin if bush came in here asking for surveillance police cameras and stop and frisk in black neighborhoods would he be treated with open arms by local news outlets?? I could only imagine how frustrating being a cop,(especialy in killadelphia)could be.I dont think drugs will ever go away,And this is from someone who brother lets heroin and crackdealers beat him up for a bag of dope and torn my families life apart limb from limb the past 15 years.Ive picked him up in cobbs creek were it looked like a total police state and he said he was still able to get drugs.I think the media needs to put more emphasis on the neighborhood condoning animal like behavior.Police can only be able to stop murder to a point its a joint effort between commnity and police and i see the police putting 110% in and the community 40% any way keep up the good work and make sure to go home SAFE.
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Posted on May 28, 2007 22:04
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Posted by | September 22, 2007 6:36 AM
Posted on September 22, 2007 06:36
Hallo! Es hat sich doch gezeigt, dass die 301 Umleitung einer minus-31 Domain nichts bringt weil die Seite auf die umgeleitet wird auch auf Platz 31 landet. Wenn nun jemand seine -31 Domain auf meine Domain umleiten wurde um mich als Konkurrenten zu argern, gabe es fur mich keine Moglichkeit diese Manipulation herauszufinden. Ich wurde ratseln was ich falsch gemacht hatte und dabei ist es nur ein Trick der Konkurrenz. Edit: Ich habe die Frage vergessen! Gibt es doch eine Moglichkeit herauszufinden ob jemand seine Domain auf meine umgeleitet hat?
Posted by Phoebe Cates | October 28, 2007 4:38 AM
Posted on October 28, 2007 04:38
More or less nothing seems important. I've just been letting everything happen without me recently. I can't be bothered with anything recently, but such is life. My life's been generally bland today. Not much on my mind these days, but eh.
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I can't be bothered with anything recently. I've just been sitting around doing nothing. Today was a loss. I just don't have much to say. Nothing seems worth thinking about.
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