The man Philadelphia police are questioning in the murder of Officer Moses Walker Jr. had four prior criminal cases, was out on probation and had been put on state house arrest with electronic monitoring just last month.
Police took one person of interest into custody Wednesday afternoon at a public housing complex in Southwest Philadelphia. FOX 29 is not identifying him as he has not been charged.
And investigators say they know who they're looking for as the second man seen on surveillance video following Officer Walker before Saturday morning's fatal shooting as he walked home from work.
Police were already angry knowing one of their own was murdered. But, detectives say, their anger is hitting a new high as they learn the legal loopholes, dropped cases and not-so-serious court treatment this gun-toting "person of interest" got up until now, FOX 29's Steve Keeley reported.
"We believe that he's going to be our shooter," Capt. James Clark, of the police department's Homicide Unit, told the media Wednesday in announcing that one man was in custody in the Walker case.
The "person of interest" – who police say shot the officer three times – had been arrested and charged with gun crimes at least four times in just four years.
And if his case was given a name and made into a TV show, one detective said it would be "Law & Disorder."
That's because every time he would be caught, charged and even convicted of using guns, committing holdups or drug rip-offs, his cases would ricochet around the justice system like a stray bullet. And he was back on the streets, back in trouble, back using guns, doing more holdups.
Just after he turned 18, he was arrested for using a gun. The charges included weapons, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and endangering another. For some reason, that case was dropped.
Three months later, there were new gun and endangerment charges, drugs and resisting arrest charges. He was sent to prison for two years with probation tacked onto that, which he violated many times as soon as he was back out.
He was arrested again just this past February for allegedly using another gun in another holdup, drawing assault and reckless endangerment charges again. When the scared witness didn't show, that case was dropped, too.
Last month, the judge handling the man's case from 2008 put new conditions on his probation and parole, allowing him to be released to state house arrest with electronic monitoring for six months. He also ordered to do community service, complete a GED program, seek and maintain employment and submit to weekly drug screenings.
According to a Daily News report, it was a failed drug screening more than a week ago that led to a parole officer asking for a warrant for the man. The request was made prior to Walker's fatal shooting on Saturday.
The bench warrant wasn't issued, however, until Wednesday.
Speaking about the status of the Walker investigation on Wednesday night and the search for the second suspect, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said, "We're making progress, and we're pleased with the progress. But until we have enough to charge, there's a lot more work that needs to be done."
Because of this man's previous wrist-slapping at the courthouse, one detective tells FOX 29 that they're making "damn sure" this case is super solid before anything leaves police headquarters.
