Crazy night tonight, folks. The Police Department held its collective breath when a veteran sergeant was found unconscious in his patrol car in North Philadelphia at about 6:45 p.m.
Mayor Nutter and Police Commissioner Chuck Ramsey emerged from Temple University Hospital shortly before 9 to deliver the news: Sgt. Andrew Stackwicz, 57, was in critical condition after he suffered an apparent heart attack. He was undergoing tests in an ICU and appeared to be responsive, the mayor said.
Stackwicz is a 26-year-old veteran who works in the 22nd District. He was out on a patrol when a citizen spotted him in his cruiser. Nutter -- visibly relieved that he didn't have to once again address the loss of an officer -- praised the unidentified resident, who called 9-1-1 and even waited with Stackwicz until help arrived. Nutter said four cops performed CPR on the married father of two on the ride up to the hospital, probably saving his life in the process.
There was a sigh of relief amongst the press and a handful of passersby who grew nervous when they saw a collection of cop cars jam the entrance of the hospital for the second time this week.
But all was not calm in the neighborhood surrounding the hospital. When I first got up to Temple around 7 o'clock, a loud argument started to unfold on the 1200 block of Russell Street, which sits about 50 feet away from the hospital's rear driveway. The argument eventually turned physical, and the dozen or so participants started to scream and take swings at each other. A single 25th District cop tried to sort out the melee, only to find himself surrounded and shouted down. A pair of quick-thinking cops noticed their out-numbered brother and rushed to his side. The turmoil was quieted -- for just a little while.
From there, things got surreal. At about 8:30, while reporters aimlessly shuffled along the sidewalk outside the hospital and cops leaned against a wrought iron fence, noodling with their cell phones, a familiar sound filled the night air. Pop-pop-pop. Firecrackers, maybe? 'Fraid not. The Russell Street slapfest had just turned into a gunfight.
A woman screamed out from the street, "He's shooting! He's shooting!" as the reporters and cameramen realized they were in the middle of a whole different type of live shot. Within seconds, a wave of blue poured out of the hospital and flooded Russell Street. There were more stories than neighbors: "She stabbed my sister and he shot her," said one woman. "I saw the man shooting right here, in front of the house," cried another man. An ambulance tore down the street as cops searched the street for shell casings and victims.
Eventually, a verdict came back from the chaos: no one had been shot, although it appeared one woman -- who was walked across the street to the hospital in cuffs and a blood-stained t-shirt -- had been stabbed. "Just a little thing we call a disturbance in the city," one cop said.
Indeed.
If the Police officer's had taser's no one would be scuffling alone the street.— youwish- Youwish, I agree. Not only do they not have non lethal force alternatives they do not have cameras in the cars, which could eliminate (or support) brutality claims.— ralph
Comment removed.- Tasers, racial profiling, cameras in patrol cars; what are you nuts talking about??? The cop was right, just another night in north philly were arguments are settled with knives and guns.— tdoc
- Tdoc..Just another night in MOST of Philly now..— daddyimscared
- yup daddyimscared, your absolutely correct. And its not just a philadelphia problem either. People have lost their hope, and thats about as bad as it can get!— tdoc
- Comment removed.
- A credit to the PPD. After losing another officer this week, having another shot/wounded, at the hospital with officer ill, they still dropped everything and responded. Could almost understand, "ah, let them kill each other" reaction given the total disdain many in those neighborhood have for the police. Probably wasn't any 'snitchin' either.— terrid
- Most of Philly can get by with a disturbance or 2. It's just happens much more frequently in two specifc parts of Philly.— Flyers2001
- no hon People period.some white people have done some pretty crazy stuff to,or do you not read read the paper— bernbaby56
- Thanks for the editorial Shabba. I no longer feel the need to visit the proctologist. Perhaps these people were part of the "no child left behind" policy, or other great republican social reforms.— tdoc
- THANK YOU PPD FOR TRYING TO DO YOUR HARD JOBS..../I hope that the officer that is ill will be ok— limoman191
- As long as they just kill each other and not cops, they're doing the city a service.
Dana DiFilippo has covered murder, mayhem and miscellany at the Daily News since 2000. She grew up in Delaware County and studied journalism and photography at Penn State University. E-mail tips to difilid@phillynews.com.
---
Stephanie Farr has been reporting for the Daily News since 2007, covering everything from gay porn stars who entered the burglary business to moon trees, skinheads, murders and naked bike rides. She covers crime, both in the city and suburbs, and keeps clippings of bizarre Associated Press articles. Her favorite this year was the story about the drunk in Punxsutawney who gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a dead opossum. E-mail tips to farrs@phillynews.com.
---
Phillip Lucas joined the Daily News crime team in 2011. He grew up on the mean streets of Seattle and studied journalism and psychology at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Before landing in the City of Brotherly Love, Phillip was a reporter for The News Journal in Wilmington, Del. Email tips to lucasp@phillynews.com.
--
Morgan Zalot is the newest crime reporter at the Daily News, starting in 2011 after interning at the paper twice as a Temple University journalism student. In her past stints at the DN, she covered just about everything, from drunken Phillies fans to a barber shop in a high school to a grisly murder-suicide. She’s a born-and-raised Philly girl who grew up in the Northeast. E-mail tips to zalotm@philly.com.
 | Follow on Twitter |
Share your tips
To send news tips, breaking news pictures or other thoughts to the Philly Confidential team, email phillyconfidential@phillynews.com.- Attytood
- Philly Clout
- Philly Gossip
- Philadelphia Will Do
- Philebrity
- Phawker
- Philadelphia Speaks
- Young Philly Politics
- The Illadelph
- Philadelphia Police Department
- FOP
- Police Advisory Commission
- Ramsey Crime Plan
- FBI
- Fire Department
- District Attorney’s Office
- The Valley of the Shadow
- Cop in the Hood
- Joel Hoffman
- February
- January
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- News | Sports | Business | What's Happening | Restaurants & Food | Entertainment | Living | Marketplace | Jobs
