Cop slaying suspect back in Philadelphia

Six days after fleeing to Miami, John Lewis, the North Philadelphia man charged in the shooting death of Police Officer Chuck Cassidy, returned home on a commercial flight this afternoon with his hands and feet in shackles.

A team of five armed Philadelphia homicide detectives escorted Lewis on US Air Flight 742, which arrived at Philadelphia International Airport at about 4:40 p.m.

From there, Lewis, 21, was expected to be arraigned at police headquarters before being taken to the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility on State Road, police spokesman Sgt. Ray Evers said.

The path home for Lewis was cleared when he waived extradition and Philadelphia detectives finished their investigation on Wednesday.

Lewis, who uses the aliases Jordan Lewis and Lewis Jordan, is accused of shooting Cassidy, 54, Oct. 31 when the 25-year veteran officer walked in on a morning robbery at the Dunkin' Donuts on Broad Street in West Oak Lane.

Cassidy died the next day.

Lewis took a bus to Miami on Saturday and arrived Sunday night. He was arrested by Miami police officers at a homeless shelter early Tuesday morning after a staffer recognized his face from television news and called 911.

Later that day, Lewis told reporters that he had confessed to Philadelphia police officers. He also apologized to Cassidy's family, saying: "I never meant anything to happen like this."

Prosecutors have not decided whether they will seek the death penalty, said Cathie Abookire, spokeswoman for District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham.