Thorough Probe Promised In Death Of Chester Man Run Over By Police Car
By David Madden
CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) - Officials promise a complete investigation of Wednesday night's death of a Chester man, run over by police as he fled from them on a bike with a gun in his hand.
That probe will be handled by the Delaware County District Attorney. Jack Whelan says his detectives are keeping the family of 24-year-old Sherman Byrd in the loop as witnesses, police and sheriff's deputies are questioned:
"Our preliminary information is that this is an accident. However we're not taking that for granted. We're going to go beyond the information that originally came in and we're going to start from scratch."
What they do know is deputies serving warrants got word of a robbery, saw Byrd, approached him, he pulled out a gun and jumped on a bike. A pursuit brought Chester police in -- a pursuit that ended near 13th and Keystone Streets.
"We believe that the Chester police vehicle actually struck the individual as he was falling off of the bike," Whelan says.
Among the questions still pending: was Byrd the robbery suspect being sought at the time?
