Philadelphia Teen Will Stand Trial For Attempted Murder of Bicycle Cop
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A Southwest Philadelphia teen has been ordered to stand trial for attempted murder of a police officer in what the officer is calling an unbelievable ambush attack.
Bicycle patrol officer Michael Alice testified today that he couldn't believe it when the 16-year-old boy he told to move along suddenly turned and opened fire.
It happened at Front and South Streets on a Saturday night earlier this month.
Officer Alice says Devon Marcus, 16, was among a group of rowdy teens he told to head home because it was almost curfew time and South Street was no longer open to them.
Most listened, but Alice says Marcus tried to push past him and then walked slowly away, staring at the officer.
And then, the teen did the unthinkable, as recounted by Philadelphia prosecutor Kate Corbett:
"He pulled a firearm from his waistband and fired four shots in the officer's direction. Thankfully, the officer wasn't hurt and nobody else was hurt, but there was a large group of people out that evening and very easily you could have had another dead officer or another dead civilian on the streets of Philadelphia."
Officer Alice chased and caught Marcus, and the officer says he recovered a .40-caliber handgun plus an extra magazine of ammunition that Marcus had in his pocket.
Reported by Tony Hanson, KYW Newsradio 1060
