The first day of a preliminary hearing for the man charged with killing Philadelphia police officer Chuck Cassidy revealed chilling evidence that the two men nearly crossed paths in the past.
The defendant, 21-year-old John Lewis, (above) is charged with a series of six armed robberies and during the last of them he allegedly shot and killed Cassidy.
Victim witness Cynthia Beckwith, who works at the north Broad Street Dunkin Donuts where Cassidy was killed on October 31st, has testified the same store was robbed six weeks earlier. Authorities allege the robber was John Lewis and prosecutor Jennifer Selber says Beckwith followed the robber as he fled the store.
"When she called 911 while she was following the defendant, and officer Cassidy was the first officer to respond to the 911 call. So she conferred with him. She knew him from the neighborhood. She told him who she was following and why."
But by then the robber had disappeared. Six weeks later, Beckwith has testified she tried to help Officer Cassidy as he lay on the ground, dying, from a gunshot to the forehead.
Lewis is also charged with five other earlier robberies but the defense attorney is asking everyone to keep an open mind and let the system work.
Lewis is charged with first-degree murder in the Cassidy case, and the evidence against him is mounting.
Authorities say it includes a confession to police and a public admission to reporters after he was arrested in Florida
And authorities say Lewis also confessed to family members, including cousin Hakim Glover, who pleaded guilty earlier this week to hindering Lewis' apprehension.
Philadelphia prosecutor Edward Cameron:
"(Glover) went over to a house and met with his cousin John Lewis, who told him he had killed Officer Cassidy. He saw that John Lewis in fact had two firearms under his coat, and told him he had to get rid of those guns."
Authorities say those guns were the murder weapon and the slain officer's gun. And according to sources, Glover is now cooperating and was expected to testify at this hearing.The testimony on Thursday focused on those five earlier robberies with which Lewis is charged. Several witnesses have described the robberies and identified defendant John Lewis as the armed bandit.
In one case, a pizza shop employee says Lewis had been a regular customer. She thought it was a joke when he took out a gun and demanded money. But it was no joke: he took money and fled.
The courtroom was packed on Thursday -- standing room only -- with the victim’s widow and children sitting in the front row. New Philadelphia police commissioner Charles Ramsey arrived before the hearing began to show his support for the family. He talked with family members briefly, then stood and listened as the hearing began.
One detective, upon seeing the commissioner there, quietly offered his reaction: "That’s impressive."
The preliminary hearing recessed for the day about 3:30pm on Thursday, and was scheduled to resume This morning.
