INQUIRER: Philadelphia police this morning said they are looking for a 33-year-old city man in connection with the fatal shooting Saturday of Philadelphia police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski. Police identified the suspect at large as Eric Floyd, 33, currently of Clearfield Street, Philadelphia. Police said Floyd had escaped from a halfway house in Reading, and is considered to be armed and dangerous.
Police said at least three men were involved in the robbery and shooting of Sgt. Liczbinski, 39, on Saturday just before noon. Liczbinski was responding to the robbery of a bank inside a grocery store around 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The suspects fired at Liczbinski after he confronted them nearby, police have said.
Police Deputy Commissioner William Blackburn did not identify the person police believe to be the shooter. But he said, “I would call it an execution. The sergeant didn’t have a chance.”The gun was a Chinese-made SKS assault rifle, which holds 30 rounds, and had 25 bullets inside when it was found.
Police shot and killed one of the alleged robbers after the robbery. Police
identified him as Howard Cain, 33 and said he had lived at the same address as Floyd. A third suspect, Levon Warner, 38, [pictured below, left] has been charged with murder, robbery, conspiracy and related offenses. He called police soon after the robbery, reporting that his Chrysler Town and Country van had been stolen. Police now believe he was part of the crime. MORE
PREVIOUSLY:Throughout the block as noon approached, chaos ensued. A woman spun around yelling that a man had put a gun to her head and threatened to kill her. People young and old poured out of houses and onto their porches. One man chased the shooter’s stolen Jeep as it bolted south on Almond Street. Others called 911 on cell phones. An older man nearby had taken the fallen officer’s radio and was saying, “A police officer is down. He’s shot multiple times. Get an ambulance,” Braun said. Braun yelled at another neighbor for towels to try to stop the gushing blood. She grabbed four kitchen towels and gave them to those trying to stop the bleeding, she said. A neighbor tying to help Liczbinski looked up at Braun and said, “His arm is just dangling off.” Petaccio said he had stayed with Liczbinski talking to him as he tried to save his life. He said Liczbinski had looked at him and said, “I want you to tell my wife I’ll miss her.” MORE