Boy, 16, Charged as Adult in Officer's Death

by KYW's Jim Melwert

A West Philadelphia boy is being charged as an adult in connection with Friday night's death of a Philadelphia police officer.   Another officer injured in that crash has been upgraded from critical to guarded condition at the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania.

Andre Butler, 16, of the 700 block of North Markoe Street, is facing a laundry list of charges, including third degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and homicide by vehicle. 

Officer Isabel Nazario, an 18-year veteran of the force, was a passenger in a cruiser that was responding to the car chase in the Mantua neighborhood. 

The vehicle being chased -- a white Cadillac Escalade -- slammed into the side of the police car at the corner of 39th and Wallace Streets. 

Nazario and her partner were both taken to the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania.  She was pronounced dead at 9:41 pm. 

Philadelphia police commissioner Charles Ramsey:

"On behalf of everyone in the department all of our thoughts and prayers are with the family right now.  It is a very, very difficult time."

Authorities said Nazario's sister and her fiancé are also police officers.  She also leaves behind her mother and her daughter.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter expressed sorrow on behalf of the entire city:

"It's a member of our family, our public employees, our police officers, that risk their lives every day and every night to protect the rest of us.  And this evening we lost one of Philadelphia's finest. "

Authorities say the 16-year-old driver of the Escalade tried to run away but was caught by police about a block and a half away from the scene of the crash.

The other police officer in the car, Terry Tull was at the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania Early Saturday morning, listed in stable condition.

Mayor Nutter has ordered all city flags to be flown at half staff for 30 days in memory of officer Nazario. Governor Rendell has ordered all state flags lowered in her honor.