The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on a tragic case involving an off-duty Philadelphia police who took justice into his own hands in defense of his 14-year old son:
WHEN Sgt. Chauncey Ellison came to Renovo Street, he was a father with a gun, trying to stand up to the young men he believed had assaulted and punched his 14-year-old son and robbed him of a pizza. What happened on this dark one-way street in West Oak Lane that Nov. 17 night is subject to debate. But this much is clear. Ellison, who was off duty, fired his police-issued Glock at Lawrence Allen, 20, who lives on the block, striking him once in the back.
Ellison’s son was robbed and punched in the face outside Bruno’s Pizza at 19th and Cheltenham Avenue around 9 p.m., according to police, who said the boy had told his dad what happened.
Ellison confronted a 16-year-old known as “Meaty,” and Meaty ran, according to Allen’s family. Carrying a pizza, Meaty, a friend of Lawrence Allen’s, sprinted up Renovo Street near 20th – less than two blocks from Bruno’s – to the Allen family home about 9:05. Meaty told them that he had robbed a kid and that the dad was after him, the family said.
Ellison spotted some young people on Renovo Street and believed that they had been involved in the strong-arm robbery, said Lt. Frank Vanore, police spokesman.
Ellison attempted to stop one of the men, later identified as Allen, “and a struggle ensued,” Vanore said. “He [Ellison] indicated that he believed [Allen] was drawing a firearm.” Ellison, who joined the Police Department in August 2000, then drew his weapon and fired once, Vanore said. No gun was recovered. Friends and relatives took Allen to the hospital.
Allen’s wife and family tells a different version of events:
“’I had nothing to do with it’. That’s all he kept trying to explain to the guy,” said Rosie Rosado, the victim’s wife.
Allen’s wife says it was dark when Sgt. Chauncey Ellison confronted her husband outside their West Oak Lane home around 9pm on November 17th.
“He takes the gun, puts it right to his back and shoots him,” said Rosado.
Investigators say there was a woman with Sgt. Ellison, who is also an officer, who works in the 22nd District in North Philadelphia.
“The guy standing there, he has the gun. He’s just holding it like this over him. And I told him, I said ‘I’m not going to let you shoot him again. So if you’re gonna shoot, you’re gonna take both of us.’ So he stood there with the gun and he was like trying to fight away to get over me to shoot him again. And I wouldn’t move,“ Rosado said through tears.
Allen is currently fighting for his life at a Philadelphia hospital. Ellison’s bullet punctured his lung and fractured his spine in nine places, and he’s paraylzed from either the chest or waist down. The Philly Daily News provides the rest of the details of this story, which is definitely worth reading.
I find it remarkable that Ellison is on desk duty during the pending investigation (which is not a typical shooting incident) while the DA figures out if he should be charged for shooting a man in the back, but Allen already faces criminal charges.
I don’t care how you spin this and how culpable Allen may be – (this should have been investigated like everything else). Ellison was off-duty, the alleged incident involved his son, he shot Allen in the back and left the scene and any alleged gun has not been recovered. If Ellison was a regular dude on the street – or if Allen was the one who shot and paralyzed him – there’d be all kinds of ruckus.
I’m following this case closely, and will provide updates as details emerge.
Filed under: Crime & Justice, Law, News | Tagged: Ali Allen, Lawrence Ali Allen, Lawrence Allen, off-duty cop shooting, off-duty cop shoots and paralyzes man, off-duty cop shoots man, Off-duty Philadelphia police shooting, Philadelphia cop shooting, Sgt. Chauncey Ellison, Sgt. Ellison
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want to exchange reciprocal links?
Obama has started arresting people who don’t follow his orders
http://ngoldfarb.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/dictator-obama-puts-his-enemies-in-jail-even-before-he-takes-office/
It sure sounds like a violent robbery that led to violent crime that may well end up a homicide. The bigger crime is the spin, b.s., coverup and lack of meaningful response from the PPD itself, the Commissioner, the Mayor and the DA. In a city wracked by gun violence and thuggery it sometimes becomes hard for Philadelphians to discern the difference between the thugs with badges but off duty and those without. The behavior is not much different alot of times. I note how the civilians were quickly criminally charged to the hilt whereas the off-duty officers are as of yet uncharged.
If their was no gun recovered at the crime scene then why the hell is Allen being criminally charged? All i got to say is that Ellison should be behind bars not behind a desk. Now a guy is going to die because of a freaking pizza that he did not even steal. If this guy gets off there needs to be a probe to investigate government coruption in Philly.
Allen is being charged as he is mainly because he was shot by an off-duty PPD officer in the company of another off-duty PPD officer. It’s a take care of your own and cover all our A_ _ _s mentality that prevails. All initiated over a son’s stolen pizza and, in this city, associated minor thuggery. Our proud and tough DA here (who by the way wants to be the acting US attorney for the area) in Philadelphia can discern a big difference between a thug who shoots somebody in cold blood out of rage and malice and the off-duty police officers who go out looking to get personal revenge with their service weapons. Allen’s got criminal charges galore and, quite possibly a lifetime of medical bills we’ll pay. PPD officers Ellison and Fortune have no charges to date and they’ll probably keep their jobs, (even if they are ceremonially fired and then rehired a year or two later after an arbitrator finds no connection between commiting crimes (albeit uncharged and for which they will not be convicted) off-duty and being a Philadelphia Police Officer) and sooner or later, the City will face litigation over the Allen shooting and, a few years down the road, more litigation over Ellison and Fortune if they remain police officers since folks rarely change their habits and getting away with it when caught red-handed once will probably only serve to embolden. Can you see how this state of affairs is a monumental systemic problem? Philadelphia can’t keep libraries open but our government can willingly pay for this and condone it. I voted for Mayor Nutter and had high hopes for him but one has to wonder when equal justice and good government will no longer have to take a back seat to the dictates of politics. On paper the law applies to us all here. In reality, we keep two very different sets of rules in Philadelphia. It’s not equal justice, it’s just plain sad.
Sgt Chauncey Ellison apparently on FULL ACTIVE DUTY after an ‘exhaustive’ 6 1/2 week investigation.
this was one of my bestfriends…..update…he’s dead now, not paralyzed. assumptions are not excuses for retaliation.
My prayers go to the Allen family for the senseless killing of Lawrence. I too have lost a loved one by the hands of a Philly rogue cop from the 39th police district. My son Timothy Goode was shot twice in his back while fleeing from three thug cops. Yes, Ms. Rosado, I too have a hard time believing my son is really gone. Stay encouraged, fight a good fight for your husband. If justice is not rendered in this life time, judgment will be rendered before our Lord! Peace and blessings, Pamela Goode
[...] few months ago, I posted about the tragic shooting of Lawrence Allen by an off-duty Philadelphia police officer. Sadly, Mr. Allen passed away [...]
philly is the #1 CITY to get shot by cops when you are black. that is a fact. black cops will dhoot you the fastest so they can show racial acceptability
[...] few months ago, I posted an update to an earlier post about the tragic death of Lawrence Allen, who was gunned down (shot in the back) by Sgt. Chauncey [...]
I’m greatly saddened and disapppointed by the actions of the off duty officer, Internal Affairs and the DA. This is ridiculous. Why are there 2 sets of laws in Philly? If any of us taxpaying citizens had shot a man in the back, we’d have the book thrown at us, no questions asked. It is truly a tragedy that police officers can get away with actions like these time and time again. Meanwhile, Philly’s citizens are supposed to believe that the police are here to protect and serve. Vigilante justice is against the law for us, it should be against the law for officers as well. It seems that, in this God forsaken city, the police are the only people who receive justice. It’s funny that this officer could find a person he believed stole his son’s pizza but in 16 years the police have not found the person responsible for taking my brother’s life. It only serves to make me feel like we don’t matter, although we are the people who pay the salaries of every city worker in Philadelphia. It’s just sad….