Vigil Held To Honor Fallen Philadelphia Police Officer
By Justin Udo and Diana Rocco
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A prayer vigil honoring fallen Philadelphia police officer Robert Wilson III took place Monday afternoon in front of the North Philadelphia GameStop store where he was gunned down last Thursday -- just four days before his oldest child's 10th birthday.
Dozens of community members and police officers stood side by side during the hour long call to stop the violence going on in the streets.
"We got to bring more awareness to this, so we're going to keep fighting and keep fighting as long as bodies keep dropping we're going to keep fighting."
Mel Wells with One Day At A Time, a community outreach group where Officer Wilson donated his time and services says it's only right they take a moment to shine a light on the positive changes Officer Wilson helped make.
"We knew we had to respond because they always respond to us. So we want to be here and back them up and again he's a part of our family."
Speaker after speaker called for the community to be a catalyst for positive change.
"We lost a really good guy, a good cop, a good friend, and more importantly, a good father," said Philadelphia Police Captain Rob Glenn.
This is the 22nd District's second big loss in recent years. Nearly two years ago, Officer Moses Walker, Jr. was killed in an attempted robbery as he was walking home from his shift. He and Wilson were friends.
"It's going to take time because we lost a brother," said Captain Glenn.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey addressed the crowd Monday in Hope Plaza and shared their outrage.
"It just makes absolutely no sense. I left the crime scene before I came here and I mean when's it going to end. I mean there is so much blood on the street that it literally turned the ice red," said Commissioner Ramsey.
Police Commissioner Ramsey says the community needs to work with police in order to stop the violence. Officer Wilson's son turned 10 on Monday. The Fraternal Order of Police has now started a GoFundMe page to raise money for his family.
