Family Says Philly Cop Gunned Down Man

PHILADELPHIA - An internal investigation is under way into the shooting death of a 21-year-old man by an off-duty Philadelphia police officer.

William Panas, 21, died in the incident.

The shooting happened Saturday night outside of a party on Elkhart Street in the city's Port Richmond neighborhood.

Panas' family said he was walking with his friend and his girlfriend after 11 p.m. when they saw a large group in the midst of a disagreement.

Panas became involved in the fight and it quickly escalated.

Some of those who were involved in the fight were apparently family members of a police officer.

For reasons that are still not clear, Panas was struck by a bullet from that off-duty officer and was pronounced dead about half-an-hour later.

Philadelphia police did not identify the officer over the weekend, but a department spokesman said the officer claimed he was attacked after he tried to break up the fight between 20 to 40 people.

No one has said what the fight was over or how it began.

Department spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said off-camera the officer identified himself as a city police officer and, instead of listening to him or obeying orders to stop fighting, a group turned on the officer and started attacking him. The officer fired his gun once.

The 45-year-old works in the department's civil affairs division, which is the division involved with keeping protestors, picketers and people in big gatherings peaceful.

Neither department officials nor the police union commented on camera over the weekend.

Panas' friends, who say they were with him when the shooting happened, acknowledged that the officer identified himself but not with a badge.

They said the officer kept taking out his gun and threatening to use it.

"Every time people would back up, he'd put it back away," one friend said. "And when Billy was fighting, and they'd go to break it up, he'd pull it back out. And then when he pulled it out on Billy, Billy talked, Billy said, 'You ain't going to shoot me.' And he shot him right in his chest."

Another described, "Billy and the cop's son got into an altercation. They fell to the ground. As they were getting up off the ground, the cop pulled out his gun, waved it around. He waved it in my face. And then he pointed the gun at Billy and shot him in the chest."

Panas' father and friends said the officer has caused trouble before on the very same street.

That officer is on administrative leave, which is standard after any shooting involving a cop. The department's internal affairs division is conducting its investigation, overseen by the district attorney's office, into whether the shooting was justified.

No one involved with the fight has been charged with anything.

Family and friends said they are trying to sort through the stunning death.

"He killed my boy – blew his heart right out of his chest – and he's out enjoying Thanksgiving with his family while I'm having to prepare a funeral for my son," said William Panas. "We just want justice for this guy, to have his badge taken off of him and be tried for murder."

On Sunday night, friends and family of Panas filled the street where the shooting happened in a night vigil as they wait for word about how the investigation will go from here.

Several uniformed officers stood sentry in front of the off-duty officer's house as the vigil was held.