"Our top story, the Philadelphia Police Department is again in mourning this morning..."
My head whipped around to the TV screen. Sergeant Tim Simpson of the 24th district was dead, killed in a horrific car crash at approximately 10:45pm last night. He was killed at Aramingo & Allegheny while responding to a robbery call, possibly by a drunk driver who was speeding.
This is the second officer killed in an auto accident in the last few months, with Izzy Nazario killed back in the late summer. It is the fourth Philly cop killed this calendar year, the fifth in the last year, the sixth on-duty in two and a half years stretching back to Gary Skerski's murder in spring of 2006.
With Walter Barclay's death from wounds that he received decades ago in a shooting, it marks the seventh Philly cop to die of an on-duty incident in that time period.
My stomach flips again, and I say a prayer for the officer, his family and friends, his co-workers, and all police officers. It's beyond ridiculous now. We got almost, almost, a two month break this time. We deserve years without such tragedy at this point.
They all need to be remembered as a group: Walt Barclay, Gary Skerski, Chuck Cassidy, Steve Liczbinski, Isabel Nazario, Pat McDonald, and now Tim Simpson.
Ironically, it was Simpson who had worked closely with Liczbinski, and was the officer given the responsibility of cuffing the murderer of his fellow Sergeant and former partner just this past spring.
We will again cover our badges with mourning crepes, again put on our blouse coats, again make funeral arrangements, again bury a fellow officer. This time it will be a brother with a wife and children who we will bury during a season when we are normally supposed to be giving thanks.
To make matters possibly worse to me, I saw a picture of the officer. He looked a lot like an officer who I served with in the 6th district, Terry Simpson, and I wonder if they are related, possibly brothers.
That would make an already intolerable situation even more personal, with my own brother also on the job and both of us knowing Terry. We will find out more of these details in the coming hours and days, but there is one thing that we already know.
The Philadelphia Police Department has a very dark cloud hanging over it right now. The winter cold has settled over the area this morning, the first real morning of frost. It feels even colder now. This has to end. Doesn't it?
3 comments:
My name is Brian King. I'm a Sergeant in Recruit Background Investigations. I worked with Tim in the old East Task Force out of 4th & Girard. The unit was down there for about 7 years. Tim was partners with John McNesby. Anyone who knew Tim, knows that he would ALWAYS answer that radio and rush to any priority job. He was a great guy, a great dad and a great cop.I ran into him and his oldest son recently at Home Depot. We stood and talked at length about current events on the job and past good times. This guy will be truely missed. Tim always meant what he said and did what he said he would do. Great, reliable, loyal friend.
He was a great man. It is a terrible loss to once again be burying another cop.
I can't believe that we are coming up on a year now. It still takes my breath away every day to think about it.
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