Philly "Hero Cop" Intentionally Shot Himself

[Flagg]

CNN

Philadelphia cop intentionally shot himself, commissioner says
By Deborah Brunswick, CNN
May 13, 2010 6:37 a.m. EDT

(CNN) -- A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, police officer who told authorities he was shot while on patrol last month has admitted he shot himself intentionally, the city's police commissioner said Tuesday.

Sgt. Robert Ralston, 46, confessed to police early Tuesday morning that he made up the story, possibly to a get attention or a transfer, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said in a news conference.

Ralston reported that on April 5 he saw two African-American males arguing on a train track in West Philadelphia. He told investigators that when he stopped the two men for questioning one of them pulled out a gun and shot him in the left shoulder.

His claim sparked a search for a phantom suspect.

Ramsey noted that there were many inconsistencies throughout the month-long investigation.

"The evidence never did match up. We have forensic evidence at the scene that did not match with the story," he said.

One example of inconsistent evidence was that the gunpowder residue found on Ralston's shirt matched the ammunition used by the police department, he said.

The commissioner said that Ralston, who is white, told police his attackers were black because the district where the shooting took place is predominately black.

"It's troubling in a lot of ways," Ramsey said. "It inflames racial tensions in our community, and that's certainly something we don't need."

Ralston, a 21-year veteran of the police force, will be made to pay the cost of the investigation that followed his report, and has been suspended with the intent to dismiss, Ramsey said.

He will not, however, face criminal charges because police granted him immunity to obtain his confession.

This is fucking horseshit. How many black men were harassed or roughed up because of this mentally challenged twat, yet he gets total immunity? Imagine a black guy shooting himself, claiming a cop did it, and then it turning out he fakes it, how long a sentence would that poor bastard be looking at? I just hope the feds can dig up just one provable incident of a blsck man in the Philly area being roughed up so they can nail this lying cunt for civil rights denial.

[PeZook]

Is the DA's office bound in any way by the department's promises?

I'm unsure on the relationship between the prosecutors and police departments in the US, hence my question.

[Flagg]

Is the DA's office bound in any way by the department's promises?

I'm unsure on the relationship between the prosecutors and police departments in the US, hence my question.

Police can't grant immunity, only the DA can. So I'm assuming the DA did and the writer just saved a sentence.

[salm]

How the hell can you be so fucking stupid to shoot yourself with your own gun? I mean, he´s a cop, he´s got to know that there are ways to detect which ammo was used.

[PeZook]

How the hell can you be so fucking stupid to shoot yourself with your own gun? I mean, he´s a cop, he´s got to know that there are ways to detect which ammo was used.

Turns out some people are just stupid, and will do anything for five minutes of fame.

Other people react strangely to stress. Yet others just plain want something to happen in their lives.

There's all sorts.

[FSTargetDrone]

Perhaps the (soon to be former) officer thought he could tell investigators that the attacker took his weapon from him. That's my first guess.

[jcow79]

Perhaps the (soon to be former) officer thought he could tell investigators that the attacker took his weapon from him. That's my first guess.

I wonder if he didn't use his service weapon but one of his own, but didn't think not to use department ammo?

[JME2]

Perhaps the (soon to be former) officer thought he could tell investigators that the attacker took his weapon from him. That's my first guess.

I wonder if he didn't use his service weapon but one of his own, but didn't think not to use department ammo?

He sounds like an idiot, though I'm not going to nominate this prick for the 2010 Darwin Award anytime soon.

But still, this is basic forensics; how could he have not realized, even in his idiocy, where this train of investigation would lead to.