Knimrod
12-21-2005, 01:05 AM
Retired Detroit cop killed in shootout
The former officer dies after exchanging fire at a party store with a suspected robber, who died as well.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
David G. Grant / The Detroit News
DETROIT-- A retired Detroit police officer was killed Monday night in a shootout with a suspected robber in which both men were fatally shot outside a party store on the city's east side.
Homicide investigators said the retired officer, 60-year-old William Penn, died shortly after the shooting at 10:45 p.m. in the emergency room at St. John Hospital.
The other man, who did not have identification, also was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Investigators said the shootout occurred as Penn left the Mack Express Party Store in the 14000 block of Mack, at Chalmers, and walked toward his van.
A witness told police that a man armed with a handgun approached Penn and announced a holdup. Penn turned around with his licensed handgun and exchanged gunfire with the other man at close range.
Both men were shot several times and collapsed into the snow. Police said they recovered two pistols at the scene.
Police believe that the shooting was the result of a random attempted robbery because employees in the party store said the gunman had not been in the store earlier. Police said there has recently been a rash of robberies of people leaving party stores and supermarkets in the city.
A store employee who heard the shots called the police.
Penn, who retired from the Police Department last year after more than 25 years on the job, was described as a good friend and hard-working officer.
"I knew Penn for more than 30 years," said Officer Neal Porter. "He was my old scout car partner. He was a good cop and always treated everybody like he wanted to be treated."
In addition to street patrol during his police career, Penn also had worked in the Tactical Services Section, which provides extra manpower to precincts, and his last assignment was in the commercial auto theft unit at police headquarters in downtown Detroit.
Penn was married and the father of three sons who are also Detroit police officers.
Link to story (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051220/METRO01/512200423/1006)
The former officer dies after exchanging fire at a party store with a suspected robber, who died as well.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
David G. Grant / The Detroit News
DETROIT-- A retired Detroit police officer was killed Monday night in a shootout with a suspected robber in which both men were fatally shot outside a party store on the city's east side.
Homicide investigators said the retired officer, 60-year-old William Penn, died shortly after the shooting at 10:45 p.m. in the emergency room at St. John Hospital.
The other man, who did not have identification, also was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Investigators said the shootout occurred as Penn left the Mack Express Party Store in the 14000 block of Mack, at Chalmers, and walked toward his van.
A witness told police that a man armed with a handgun approached Penn and announced a holdup. Penn turned around with his licensed handgun and exchanged gunfire with the other man at close range.
Both men were shot several times and collapsed into the snow. Police said they recovered two pistols at the scene.
Police believe that the shooting was the result of a random attempted robbery because employees in the party store said the gunman had not been in the store earlier. Police said there has recently been a rash of robberies of people leaving party stores and supermarkets in the city.
A store employee who heard the shots called the police.
Penn, who retired from the Police Department last year after more than 25 years on the job, was described as a good friend and hard-working officer.
"I knew Penn for more than 30 years," said Officer Neal Porter. "He was my old scout car partner. He was a good cop and always treated everybody like he wanted to be treated."
In addition to street patrol during his police career, Penn also had worked in the Tactical Services Section, which provides extra manpower to precincts, and his last assignment was in the commercial auto theft unit at police headquarters in downtown Detroit.
Penn was married and the father of three sons who are also Detroit police officers.
Link to story (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051220/METRO01/512200423/1006)