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Posted: Tuesday, 06 November 2007 11:54AM

Suspected Cop Killer Arrested in Florida; Cousin Charged with Aiding Escape


by KYW's Tony Hanson, Michelle Durham, and Mike DeNardo

On the eve of the funeral for slain Philadelphia police officer Charles Cassidy, and less than 12 hours after the apprehension of his accused killer in Miami, Fla., a cousin of the suspect being charged with helping him flee the Philadelphia area.

Hakim Glover, 24, of  the 800 block of Roosvelt Boulevard, was charged with hindering apprehension of a criminal after he allegedly helped his cousin John Lewis leave Philadelphia. Hindering apprehension is a felony.

Glover is accused of driving Lewis to Wilmington, Del. on Monday, where he boarded a bus bound for Florida.

According to police, Glover was questioned about his cousin's whereabouts, but is said to have given them false information. A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department says had Glover told police the truth they may have apprehended Lewis earlier. 

Bail for Glover was set at $1 million. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for November 14th.

Also on Tuesday, friends and family of slain officer Charles Cassidy were gathering at a funeral home in Northeast Philadelphia for a private viewing in advance of Wednesday morning's funeral.

After being on the loose for nearly a week, Philadelphia police announced on Tuesday morning that suspected cop-killer John Lewis was taken into custody early Tuesday morning at a homeless shelter in Miami, Fla. 

Police commissioner Sylvester Johnson says Lewis was arrested at 6:48am inside the shelter in Miami, six days after the murder of officer Chuck Cassidy.

Police sources say Lewis said he was sorry when he was confronted by police. He was arrested without incident despite alleged statements to family members to the effect that he would not be arrested without a fight.
 
Commissioner Johnson:

"When this incident first started, our main concern at that point was to identify the person who was responsible for it. Our second was to apprehend this person, which we've done. Our third now is to get this person back to Philadelphia and convicted. Our fourth -- and unfortunately -- is to prepare for a funeral tomorrow of Officer Chuck Cassidy."
 
Police sources say the evidence against Lewis includes admissions to family members,  multiple eyewitness identifications and, authorities will argue, Lewis's "I'm sorry."

Miami police chief John Timoney also addressed the media about the arrest of Lewis. He says they put out bulletins after they learned from Phildelphia police and the FBI that Lewis might have taken a bus to Miami.

Timoney says that around 6:15am on Tuesday, a call came in from the shelter saying they had someone fitting the description of Lewis:

"It had been relayed to us that he was in the chapel along with about a hundred other individuals, so it was a dodgy situation.  But with the assistance of the people who run the shelter, he was taken into custody without incident."

Timoney (right) is the former Philadelphia police commissioner:

"My heart goes out to the people of Philadelphia, especially the men and women of the Philadlephia Police Department."

Timoney says the death of a police officer affects everyone:

"Any time a police officer is killed in the line of duty, we all hurt for them.  As you're well aware I came from Philaldephia, so it's especially troubling for me.  And to assist in closing this case brings a certain amount of satifaction, even though it's a sad situation."

Timoney is concerned by a huge increase in the number of killings of police officers nationwide. He says cop killings are up 50 percent across the country compared to this time last year. He also says an officer present during the arrest said Lewis looked relieved.

Authorities expect that Lewis will be brought back to Philadelphia by the end of the week.
 
Meanwhile, the family of Officer Charles Cassidy released a statement through the Philadelphia Police Department saying they are "extremely appreciative of the hard work of the Philadelphia Police Department during the past week."  

The public viewing for Officer Cassidy at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, on Logan Circle, is set for Wednesday morning. The funeral mass was scheduled for 12 noon. The archdiocese said it would have a jumbo viewing screen on 18th Street, outside the cathedral, for those who were unable to get into to the building for what was expected to be an over-capacity event.

Burial, at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham, is private.


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