Accused cop killer identified as career criminal
Police officials earlier today identified Rasheed Scrugs as the man who fatally shot Officer John Pawlowski in Logan last night.
Accused cop killer identified as career criminal
Police officials earlier today identified Rasheed Scrugs as the man who fatally shot Officer John Pawlowski in Logan last night.
Scrugs, who also goes by the name Rasheed Abdul Ghaffer, allegedly wounded Pawlowski, 25, several times at Broad and Olney streets at about 8:20 p.m. Scrugs, who was wounded when he exchanged gunfire with Pawlowski's partner and another cop, is still listed in critical condition at Albert Einstein Medical Center.
Scrugs has a criminal history that includes nine arrests, said Lt. Frank Vanore, a police spokesman. In 1997, Scrugs was sentenced to five to 10 years in state prison for robbing a West Philadelphia diner at gunpoint.
He was released on parole in August 2002, but was sent back to prison on a parole violation in December 2004, Vanore said.
Scrugs was released from prison again in February 2008. Several months later, he was arrested on auto theft charges, Vanore said. That case is still unresolved.
A clearer picture emerged today of Friday's fatal encounter, which made Pawlowski the seventh Philadelphia police officer to get killed in the line of duty since May 2006.
Scrugs assaulted a hack cab driver and demanded his money, prompting the cabbie to call 9-1-1, Vanore said.
Scrugs warned the cabbie that he would kill the cops and the cabbie if the call was made, according to Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey.
When Pawlowski and his partner, Officer Mark Klein, arrived at the scene, they told Scrugs to remove his hands from his pockets. Instead, he pulled the trigger of his .357 magnum and fired off a round while the gun was still in his jacket pocket, Vanore said.
Pawlowski, a five-year veteran, was wounded several times. "He was wearing his [bullet-proof] vest. The vest stopped one of the rounds, but not all," Vanore said.
Pawlowski managed to fire one round at Scrugs before collapsing on the ground. Klein and another cop, Officer Steven Mancuso, also exchanged gunfire with Scrugs. "It's not clear who exactly wounded the suspect," Vanore said.
All three officers worked in the 35th District, the same district where Officer Chuck Cassidy was gunned down on Oct. 31, 2007. Pawlowski died at Einstein at about 8:44 p.m.
Pawlowski, whose father is a retired police lieutenant and whose brother, Cpl. Robert Pawlowski, was working in the police radio room last night, was recently married. His wife, Kim, is five months pregnant. Vanore said the couple were in the process of fixing up their first home together.
"It's a dangerous job," Vanore noted. "The question everybody is asking now is, when does this stop?"
UPDATE 2/16: "Two months pregnant" corrected to "five months pregnant."
Comments (70)
For abdullatif, you are right. It is not a white or black problem. It is a BLACK problem. Black thugs killing white officers. And when the same black thugs aren't killing white cops, they are killing their own. Why do you think whites with a lick of sense and the ability to do so have left Philly-- taking with them the jobs and the tax base?— pajamas
I think the City Council should pass a law making it illegal to murder a police officer. I'll bet it would pass in council, 13 to 4.— Mr. Smith- "the vest stopped one of the rounds, but not all". what does that mean? did they penatrate the vest or miss it? if the bullets went through the vest, why? those vests are rated to stop a .357 magnum at close range when new, however they lose tensile strength with wear, age and laundering. they need to be replaced every so often. was this an oversight due to budget constraints? did the city send that kid in harm's way with faulty body armor??? wanna' bet the city never addresses this, and the inky/DN reporters don't press the issue??? was i the first one to think of this, and not the professional question askers???— scorpio27
- We need to start holding adult parole and probation accountable. They are letting these low life scum out of prison and out early. They are not able to supervise them. We need the three strike system here in Pennsylvania. Three felonies and you are executed end of problem. All the liberal anti death penalty people should look at some of these cases and the victims of these carreer criminals and educate themselves to the fact that these scum can not be and do not want to be rehabilitated and they are an unacceptable burden to society. It is rediculous to expect our police officers to face this day in and day out knowing that all the work they do to arrest these thugs is pointless because they will be released right back out to murder our officers its a disgrace and every stuck on stupid voter in this city is to blame for keeping the culture of corruption in Philadelphia alive each election day.— crazymommy
- Why are these career criminals allowed back out on the street. I believe in a three strike rule. If you continue to break the law, there is no need for you in our society. Execute these clowns who continually are violent criminals. No prison, no rehabilitation, execute and move on. THink that is kind of harsh? Maybe we should ask this officers family. Or the family of all the slain officers who died by the hands of these wacked out animals. They are not human, and should not be treated as humans. So sad that our society is this soft.— yescadog
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- Imagine that....prior arrests.... releases.... parole.... murder.....wow...I am soooo surprised. One thought on how to use the stimulus money to improve life and create jobs....Bulid more prisons and keep these animals in jail, feed them our garbage and let them stay forever...rehabilitation is such a longshot with prisons these days. This poor cop has to die.....NO WAY !!!!— ChrisL
- Lowell Stokes....if you run for office... I'm on your campaign staff !!!!! Keep cops and arm them better. 3 Strikes and you are out...NO PAROLE.....— ChrisL
- This news needs to be highlighted on the front pages in France and Hollywood. Why? So all the bleeding hearts for Mumia can see the eerie relationship between the 2 cases. Don't think this scumbag won't be in touch with Mumia to help him with his defense. The details are very clear right now, but watch how fast they get fuzzy when ths dirtbag turns himself into the "VICTIM"!!!— jcdifi26
- I find it discusting for using this horrific occasion to air your inane political comments - I agree with abdullatif - it is time to act as a community— marvelo
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- Another failure to keep a known criminal in prison where he never should have been released from.— fcs25
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