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PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia policeman shot while on duty four decades ago died of his injuries this week, raising the possibility of a homicide charge against a man who already served a prison sentence for the shooting, authorities said.
Walter T. Barclay, a rookie officer, was gunned down Nov. 27, 1966, while trying to stop the burglary of a beauty shop in the city's East Oak Lane section. Barclay, who was left a paraplegic, died Sunday at age 64.
William J. Barnes, now 71, was sentenced to a 10- to 20-year term in the shooting.
Chief Inspector of Detectives Joseph Fox said Tuesday that the Bucks County coroner had ruled Barclay's death a homicide stemming from complications from the shooting. Police are talking with prosecutors to decide whether Barnes should now be charged with murder in the case, he said.
The District Attorney's Office issued a short statement Tuesday, saying only, "We intend to review all of the evidence before making a decision in this case." Prosecutors would not elaborate.
Lawyers asked about the case said prosecutors would be on solid legal ground to charge Barnes, but that proving the case would be challenging.
"Complications from a shooting 30 or 40 years ago don't take 30 or 40 years to surface," said Jeffrey Lindy, a former federal prosecutor now working as a defense lawyer. "A medical expert could say it could be from this or it could be from that."
Walter T. Barclay, a rookie officer, was gunned down Nov. 27, 1966, while trying to stop the burglary of a beauty shop in the city's East Oak Lane section. Barclay, who was left a paraplegic, died Sunday at age 64.
William J. Barnes, now 71, was sentenced to a 10- to 20-year term in the shooting.
Chief Inspector of Detectives Joseph Fox said Tuesday that the Bucks County coroner had ruled Barclay's death a homicide stemming from complications from the shooting. Police are talking with prosecutors to decide whether Barnes should now be charged with murder in the case, he said.
The District Attorney's Office issued a short statement Tuesday, saying only, "We intend to review all of the evidence before making a decision in this case." Prosecutors would not elaborate.
Lawyers asked about the case said prosecutors would be on solid legal ground to charge Barnes, but that proving the case would be challenging.
"Complications from a shooting 30 or 40 years ago don't take 30 or 40 years to surface," said Jeffrey Lindy, a former federal prosecutor now working as a defense lawyer. "A medical expert could say it could be from this or it could be from that."
http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_233185654.html
PHILADELPHIA A murder charge was filed against a 71-year-old man who shot and wounded a Philadelphia Police Officer more than 40 years ago.
71-year-old William Barnes, who has spent nearly half of his life in prison, was charged Monday morning, two weeks after the death of former Officer Walter T. Barclay. Barclay, 64, passed away August 19 at a Bucks County nursing home from an infection.
"When you set in motion a chain of events, a perpetrator of a crime is responsible for every single thing that flows from that chain of events, now matter how distant, so long as we can prove the chain is unbroken," said District Attorney Lynne Abraham during a Tuesday morning news conference.
In 1966, rookie officer Walter Barclay, then 23, was shot multiple times while responding to the report of a robbery in the 6600 block of North 5th Street. The rookie officer was left a paraplegic and forced to retire.
Williams Barnes was convicted in the shooting and served a 15-year sentence for attempted murder.
Barnes, who had been living in a halfway house and working in a supermarket, was taken into custody Monday and will face a new trial, this time for murder.
“The medical examiner determined that the death was a result of complications stemming from his being shot and then their subsequent ruling is that the death is a homicide,” said Chief Inspector Joseph Fox.
71-year-old William Barnes, who has spent nearly half of his life in prison, was charged Monday morning, two weeks after the death of former Officer Walter T. Barclay. Barclay, 64, passed away August 19 at a Bucks County nursing home from an infection.
"When you set in motion a chain of events, a perpetrator of a crime is responsible for every single thing that flows from that chain of events, now matter how distant, so long as we can prove the chain is unbroken," said District Attorney Lynne Abraham during a Tuesday morning news conference.
In 1966, rookie officer Walter Barclay, then 23, was shot multiple times while responding to the report of a robbery in the 6600 block of North 5th Street. The rookie officer was left a paraplegic and forced to retire.
Williams Barnes was convicted in the shooting and served a 15-year sentence for attempted murder.
Barnes, who had been living in a halfway house and working in a supermarket, was taken into custody Monday and will face a new trial, this time for murder.
“The medical examiner determined that the death was a result of complications stemming from his being shot and then their subsequent ruling is that the death is a homicide,” said Chief Inspector Joseph Fox.
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