Man sentenced in case involving Pawlowski
Sorrell Groves, 29, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison yesterday after being found guilty on a gun charge stemming from his arrest after being found on a SEPTA bus armed and wearing a bulletproof vest.
Groves was arrested on June 10, 2008, by Officer John Pawlowski. Officer Pawlowski was killed on Feb. 13 while responding to a robbery on Broad Street near the Olney Transportation Center. The shooter opened fire on the 25-year-old officer and his partner, and one shot struck Pawlowski above his bulletproof vest.
In the bus incident, Pawlowski was flagged down by a passenger. He boarded the bus and confronted Groves, and the two men struggled, falling out of the rear exit onto the street.
Groves was on parole, and had four prior convictions. He had been arrested 13 times since turning 18. He was prosecuted in the federal system because of his record and the weapon possession. - Nathan Gorenstein
