How FBI got its tip on Floyd

Retired FBI agent Jesse Coleman was watching an NBA playoff game on television at his Maryland home Wednesday when he got a call from Philadelphia - a longtime source who operated in the drug underworld.

"Jesse," the informant told Coleman, "I know where the cop killer is right now."

Coleman, 55, put his source on hold and called an old friend he was knew was working the case - FBI agent Bill Shute, one of dozens of law enforcement officers searching for Eric DeShawn Floyd, wanted in Saturday's slaying of Philadelphia Police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski.

When Shute, working with the Homicide Unit at the time, saw Coleman's number flash on his cell phone, he took the call instantly. Coleman had already helped with the case, and was so revered for developing street sources that his nickname was "Legend."

"Legend, what've you got?" Shute asked.

"I got a source who knows where he is right now. He's in Southwest Philly."

Coleman gave Shute his source's phone number, and soon the informant was telling Shute that Floyd was hiding in an abandoned house at 5432 Windsor Ave. in Kingsessing.

Shute, who had been studying Floyd's history, said that block made sense. In fact, police had already searched a house on the next street, and were planning more searches in the area that night.

Carefully, so as not to tip reporters camped out at Police Headquarters for their 11 p.m. television news live shots, two dozen police officers and Shute slipped out. Shute stayed on the phone with Coleman's source for the 15-minute ride.

Twice, he dropped the call because his cell-phone battery was dying. "I was frantic," he recalled. After a quick charge, he got the source back on the line.

While officers and a SWAT team gathered 10 blocks away, at 62d and Woodland, Detectives Pat Smith, Bill McCusker, Jerry Lynch and Mike Cahill drove down Windsor Avenue and spotted the abandoned home. They called it in, and the SWAT teams moved. Shute did not feel it was his place to join the raid, so he helped cover the back side, and the cops went in.

"Our hearts were racing, and it seemed like an eternity," Shute recalled, "but a few minutes later we heard on the radio the words, 'In custody.' We were just elated."

Shute thanked the source, and called Coleman. It had only been 45 minutes since he had received the tip.

"You may be retired," Shute told him, "but you are still the Legend."

"You're kidding!" Coleman replied. "You got him?"

Coleman, who retired in June after 32 years in the Philadelphia office, said yesterday that the tip "was a home run . . . absolutely."

"I'm really happy things worked out."

His informant, whom he would identify only as a reliable source familiar with the Philadelphia drug underworld, called back later.

"He wanted to know when he was going to get paid," Coleman said.

With a reward of more than $150,000 posted for information leading to Floyd's arrest and conviction, the source could be in for a substantial payday. "That's why he did it," Coleman said. "I'm happy for him. It will help him take care of his family."