Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

R.I.P. Sgt. Liczbinski :(


Philadelphia Inquirer (http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/offier_shot_040308.html)

A Philadelphia police officer was shot and killed by a military assault rifle — and a second officer may have been wounded — in a shootout today following a bank hold-up in Port Richmond.

Police officials said a 10-year-police veteran was slain as he and at least one other officer confronted one or more of three robbers near Schiller and Almond streets shortly before noon.

One of the robbers was shot and wounded, one was taken into custody and the third was still on the loose after 2:30 p.m.

As Mayor Nutter and top police officials converged on Temple University Hospital, where the slain officer was taken, hundreds of officers fanned out across much of the city looking for the robber still at large.

Police found an abandoned vehicle that may have been the getaway car in the 500 block of East Louden Street, a short distance from the bank.

The military weapon used in the killing may have been an AK-47 automatic rifle, the preferred weapon of many armies around that world, often also used by insurgents.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was involved in the case.

“We are on location and providing any assistance that we can to the Philadelphia Police Department,” said Jerri Williams, spokeswoman for the Philadelphia division of the FBI.

“Members of the (FBI) Bank Robbery Squad and Swat Team are present and providing assistance,” Williams said.



Officer Killed In Northeast Philadelphia Robbery

Fallen Police Sergeant Identified

http://cbs3.com/topstories/Officer.Shot.In.2.715217.html


PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― A Philadelphia Police officer has died after being shot by alleged bank robbery suspects in the city's Port Richmond section Saturday morning.

Authorities said the suspects held up a the Bank of America inside Shop Rite located at Aramingo and Castor Avenues at about 11:45 a.m.

A 24th District Police Sergeant, 40-year-old Stephen Liczbinski, was shot by the fleeing gunmen while attempting an arrest in the 2600 block of Schiller Street. Sergeant Liczbinski was taken to Temple University Hospital where he died.

A police pursuit ensued following the officer's shooting and one robbery suspect was shot by police in the 500 block of E. Louden Street in the Feltonville section. The suspect was taken to Northeast Hospital and transferred to Temple University Hospital. His condition was not immediately available.

Members of law enforcement from the Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania and Delaware State Police have been involved in city-wide manhunt for two other suspects, including a female accomplice. The suspects are considered armed and dangerous and anyone with information on their whereabouts is urged to contact Philadelphia police.

CBS 3 has learned the fallen officer was recently promoted to Sergeant in October of 2007. Sergeant Liczbinski leaves behind a wife and brother.

R.I.P Sarge

PORT RICHMOND - May 3, 2008 (WPVI) (http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6120000) -- A gunman shot and killed a police officer during a bank robbery this morning.

According to police, as many as three suspects held up the Bank of America branch inside a Shop Rite in the 3500 block of Aramingo Avenue around 11:26 a.m.

The officer, identified as Sergeant Steve Liczbinski from the 24th District, was shot while attempting to arrest one of the suspects on the 2500 block of E. Schiller Street, police said.

The officer was shot three times, suffering wounds to the face and abdomen. He was rushed to Northeast Hospital then transferred to Temple University Hospital, where he later died.

One suspect was shot in the 500 block of E. Louden Street and later died at Einstein Medical Center.

The suspects are described as 3 black males with dreadlock wigs, one standing at 6'3" - 6'5" and the other two at 6'1".

They were reportedly wearing female Muslim garb.

Police say a black or blue Jeep was involved in the getaway.

At least one suspect is still at large.

Action News will have further information as soon as it becomes available.

Rest in Peace Sgt. Liczbinski :(

Rest in Peace Sgt. Liczbinski

Prayers and thoughts sent to all concerned. :mad:

Thoughts and prayers sent. RIP Sgt. Liczbinski

This animal, Eric DeShawn Floyd, is wanted in the murder of Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski. He is considered armed & very dangerous. Here's hoping this POS resists arrest and ends taking a forever dirt nap:

http://i31.tinypic.com/r9g29l.jpg



And this animal, Levon Warner, has been captured for the murder of Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski. It's a shame he was brought in alive:

http://i27.tinypic.com/vqqo36.jpg



And this savage, Howard Cain, has been EXTERMINATED! My only wish is that is was a painful death and that he suffered greatly before taking his last breath!

http://i25.tinypic.com/1z37bpv.jpg




PHILADELPHIA - May 4, 2008 (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police announced just before 8 a.m. Sunday that one person was arrested for the killing of a Philadelphia officer during a robbery, and they have the warrant to arrest another person.

During a news conference late Sunday morning, Philadelphia Police released more names linked to the murder of Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski.

The man in custody and charged with robbery, murder and other crimes has been identified as 38-year-old Levon Warner. Police are trying to find 34-year-old Eric DeShawn Floyd. Investigators say he recently escaped from a halfway house in Reading, Pa., and he should be considered armed and dangerous.

A third suspect, now identified as 33-year-old Howard Cain, was shot and killed during a confrontation with Philadelphia Police.

Liczbinski, 39 years old and serving in the 24th District, encountered suspects from the holdup of a Bank of America branch inside the Shop Rite located at 3547 Aramingo Avenue around 11:26 a.m. Saturday. On the 2500 block of E. Schiller Street, Liczbinski found a dark-colored Jeep that the suspects used to get away. At least one of the suspects drew an assault-type weapon and fired shots at Liczbinski, fatally wounding the officer.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey told reporters, "It is my understanding that he was either in the car or had just gotten out of the car at the time he was struck."

Sgt. Liczbinski was shot three times, suffering wounds to the face and abdomen. He was rushed to Northeastern Hospital then transferred to Temple University Hospital, where he later died.

A short time later officers spotted the suspects inside a van in the 500 block of E. Louden Street. One suspect, now identified as Cain, was shot and later died at Einstein Medical Center. Crime scene investigators collected a weapon, an SKS assault rifle, from the sidewalk near the van. The gun was loaded with 25 rounds.

Warner had initially reported a Town and Country minivan stolen. The minivan reported stolen by Werner is the minivan that police recovered along the 500 block of E. Louden Street. Inside the van, police found a fully-loaded revolver, 2 sets of Muslim clothing about $38,000 in cash and 2 GPS tracking devices. Nearby, next to a trash can, police also found another fully-loaded gun and more clothing that was linked to the initial bank robbery.

During the night Saturday, police were engaged in an all-out manhunt for the suspect or suspects that got away. SWAT teams went door to door searching for the cop killers.

Police are now looking into possible links between the suspects in this crime and other robberies in the city in which the perpetrators were wearing Muslim clothing.

During their investigation, along the 3400 block of North Miller Street, police found a Jeep that had been reported stolen Friday. This is the vehicle was the Jeep involved in the shooting death of Officer Liczbinski, according to police.

Liczbinski, a 12-year veteran of the department, was recently promoted to the rank of sergeant. He would have celebrated his 40th birthday this coming Tuesday, May 6th. Liczbinski is survived by his wife Michele, sons Matt and Stephen, and daughter Amber.



R.I.P. SERGEANT LICZBINSKI! :(

Glad two are off the streets.

Hoping the third gets run over slowly by a dump truck.

Good Bye, Steve. You fell, we came. And we came from all over. I was amazed at the number of "Other Jurisdictions" that responded, particularily, the Deleware State Police.
The citizens were on every corner. They blocked traffic and held back crowds so that we could get to these animals faster. They held you while you were dying. They were crying in the streets. I don't know what I was prouder of, the police, or Philly as a whole.
RIP. We'll be bringing him in one way or the other. I know you know this.
You're in good company. Watch over us.

Kate, as always, thanks for your support! You are a doll.

Good Bye, Steve. You fell, we came. And we came from all over. I was amazed at the number of "Other Jurisdictions" that responded, particularily, the Deleware State Police.
The citizens were on every corner. They blocked traffic and held back crowds so that we could get to these animals faster. They held you while you were dying. They were crying in the streets. I don't know what I was prouder of, the police, or Philly as a whole.
RIP. We'll be bringing him in one way or the other. I know you know this.
You're in good company. Watch over us.

Kate, as always, thanks for your support! You are a doll.



J.,

I read about the wonderful people who were there for Sgt. Liczbinski. It was amazing. I think not only are you all sick of what's happened to the city, but I think the citizens are fed up as well. It's time for these liberal judges to do the right thing and start making the punishment fit the crime, and in this case, an eye for an eye.

It pisses me off. There's Wesley Cook, who murdered P/O Faulkner. There's scumbag Thomas Campbell, who took Upper Darby Police Officer Dennis McNamara's life, Solomon Montgomery, who murdered P/O Skerski. Then John Lewis who took P/O Cassidy's life.

When are these judges going to wake up?

I can only imagine how frustrated you get day in and day out going to court only to see judges do nothing more than give a little speech and tell the POS's not to do it again, and then end up rearresting the scumbags.

When you've got judges like Griffin behind the bench, who dropped the attempted murder charge for Boddy-Johnson when we all know he tried to kill Officer Kelley, it leaves everyone with a bad feeling for our future. And when she added insult to injury by saying, "He shot, but what makes it malicious, instead of stupid or inexperienced?" and THEN lowered his bail from $5 million to $75k, saying it was excessive and calling it an "outrageous ransom" , it's enough to make you want to bang your head on against the wall. WTF? Thank God Judge Lerner reinstated the original charge of attempted murder.

This **** has got to end and if the judges don't do anything about it, no police officer or average joe stands a chance.

You guys will always have my support.

Be safe out there, and I'll catch you on the Dome.

Prayers sent.....R.I.P

R.I.P. Sergeant



Cop slaying suspect in custody

Nutter: Arrest may 'bring some closure' to tragic week


Philadelphia Daily News (http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/Floyd_in_custody.html)

The final suspect in the cop-killing that has rocked Philadelphia this week was nabbed late last night in a house in Southwest Philadelphia, after a massive police manhunt.

Eric DeShawn Floyd, one of three men allegedly involved in the assault-rifle slaying on Saturday of police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, was arrested inside a vacant house on Windsor Avenue near 54th at 11:15 p.m..

Police arrested Floyd and his girlfriend — whose name was not immediately released — in a second -floor bedroom in a vacant house. There were no guns — and no resisting arrest.

"I'm feeling great," Police Commssioner Charles Ramsey said last night. "We're very relieved that we finally have him in custody. I just talked to Mrs. Liczbinski and there's great relief from the family."

Ramsey later gave a thumbs-up to reporters on the scene and said, "We got him!" His officers later handcuffed Floyd with Liczbinski's handcuffs — a department tradition — and took him to police headquarters, according to a police source.

Police had been eager to arrest Floyd before the sergeant's funeral tomorrow.

When Floyd arrived at the Roundhouse, Mayor Nutter was there to meet him. "I looked him dead in the eye when he came in," he said. "I told him how disappointed I was in him. He will face prosecution and of course pay a price for what he did."

"But this is a good moment for this department," the mayor added. "I know the officers are very happy. I talked to Michelle Liczbinski earlier this evening. She's certainly very pleased. We cannot bring Stephen back, but we can certainly bring some closure to this entire matter."

Floyd's arrest ended a massive police manhunt, aided by the FBI and other federal agents, that lasted for more than four days and sent cops not only across the city but as far as north Jersey — where officers chased down an apparently erroneous tip that Floyd had been spotted on a train. A reward for apprehending Floyd had grown to $150,000.

He is one of three men allegedly involved in a Saturday morning robbery at a Bank of America branch inside a ShopRite supermarket in Port Richmond and then the murder of Liczbinski.

The robber believed to be the triggerman, Howard Cain, was killed by police. A second suspect, local heavyweight boxer Levon Warner, was arrested on Sunday.

At 12:16 a.m. this morning, a swarm of helicopters hovered over police headquarters, and moments later a stream of police cars with their lights on streamed into the parking lot.

A wagon from the 24th District backed into a loading dock for prisoners and Nutter, wearing a suit, strode in to meet the van with a stern look on his face. Officers hugged one another as the door to the loading dock closed.

Nutter later added: "I told you earlier today that we would drag him from out from under whatever rock he was hiding behind and we would bring him to justice. There's never been a doubt that this would happen. It was only a matter of time."

Back at the arrest scene, a mother and daughter who didn't want to be identified were taken by surprise when a fleet of police kicked down the door to an abandoned house across the street and two doors down from them. When they stepped out of their house and onto the porch, the women saw police escort the man they've seen on the news for days.

He walked calmly to the police car in handcuffs, the mother said. "He didn't seem to give trouble." The women were shocked that the fugitive was in their neighborhoods "right under their noses."

"If I had known he was in there I would have turned him in myself, said the elder woman.

The property is a dilapidated two-story row home with boarded-up windows in the middle of the nearly-uninhabited block. The front lay crumbling, and its lopsided concrete steps add to the eyesore. On one side of the property stood another abandoned home in equally deteriorating condition.

On the other side are inhabited rowhouses, with residents asleep after the night's spectacular display.