Wounded and still fast, cop chases down suspect

A 29-year veteran police officer - whose father was an off-duty police officer killed during a carjacking in the 1970s - tackled a gunman who shot him in the arm during a robbery early this morning in South Philadelphia, police said.

Mark S. Uffelman, 52, who wears his father's badge and is a trophy-winning runner for the police department, kept pace as the gunman emptied all six bullets from a .38-caliber revolver.

"Even despite being shot, he took off running after this guy," said Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey. "It's just a tremendous job. It showed a lot of courage."

The gunman and an accomplice, both with lengthy criminal records in New Jersey, were taken into custody.

Police identified the man who allegedly shot Uffelman as Thabit Munir Rakin, 42, of Camden, who was paroled in 1996. He served time for the sexual assault and kidnapping of a stranded motorist in New Jersey, court records show.

The accomplice was identified as Jonathan Massa, 22, of Camden. Court records show he has been convicted of weapons and drug offenses and was released from prison in 2006.

Uffelman, who was rushed to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he was being treated for the gunshot wound, insisted that he call his mother himself, said police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore.

He wanted to assure his mother knew he was OK because he feared she would relive the phone call she received Oct. 13, 1978, when her husband, Charles Uffelman, was beaten to death during a carjacking while off-duty.

"He just didn't want her to think it was happening again," Vanore said.

Said Ramsey, "It's just better for the family to hear his voice."

Uffelman is recovering while authorities try to establish whether the two men arrested during this morning's robbery are connected to the fatal shooting of Beau Zabel, 23, with a 9 mm handgun. Zabel, an aspiring teacher from Minnesota, was robbed of his iPod last week in the same neighborhood.

Uffelman and his partner, Dave McAndrews, a 12-year veteran, were working a plain-clothes robbery detail near Eighth and Fitzwater Streets in response to Zabel's robbery and murder at Eighth and Ellsworth Streets.

The two officers, from the Third District, came upon a robbery in progress about 1:30 a.m., police said. The victim, a man in his 20s, was on his way home from a party and was being held up at gunpoint by two men, police said.

The gunmen fled and split apart after the officers jumped from their vehicle and announced they were police officers, Vanore said.

The officers first placed the victim in their police cruiser to keep him safe and attempted to give chase by vehicle before it turned into a foot pursuit. The victim begged that he not be left alone, police said.

Ramsey said Uffelman yelled to his partner to stay with the victim as he chased one of the men.

That's when the suspect spun and emptied the gun, striking Uffelman in the left arm, Ramsey said. Police said the bullet entered below Uffelman's elbow and exited on the opposite side, just above his elbow.

Uffelman continued the chase.

"He is in incredible shape," Ramsey said.

Speaking of the victim, Ramsey added: "I mean, of all people for him to try to run from." Uffelman, Ramsey said, "He still holds records over at the academy for mile runs and so forth."

Uffelman recovered a .38-caliber revolver after the chase, police said.

The other suspect was apprehended by the partner, McAndrews, shortly after police arrived. He was armed with a 9mm handgun that had 13 rounds in the clip and a live shot in the chamber, police said.

In the Zabel shooting, authorities have video from a nearby surveillance camera that captured the man they believe was the gunman. He is seen tucking an object in his waistband while fleeing after Zabel was shot.

In the neighborhood, some people expressed concern, while others shrugged at the violence.

"It makes me nervous," said Emma Segal, 23. "You hear it everywhere else, but never here."

Mike Thomas D'Addesi said he's been a bartender at Vesuvio's restaurant at the corner of Eighth and Fitzwater for the last two years and he's seen nothing as bad as the last two incidents.

But, he added, "This is the city."