Family of man fatally shot by off-duty cop protest at City Hall: 'You are protecting him'
PHILADELPHIA - The family of Robert Jones, their supporters, and members of his union protested at City Hall Monday, six weeks after the 54-year-old was shot to death at 11:30 on the evening of October 3rd. by an off-duty city cop.
"Robert Jones was murdered. Was he killed or murdered? Murdered! We’re trying to find out why is it that a person who is murderer has not been called to justice by the powers that be," said the Jones’ family Attorney, Shaka Johnson, as he stood with protesters.
Jones, an employee at a Northeast Philly metal manufacturer and a former member of the Eagles’ ground crew, was slain as he approached the driver’s side of a vehicle driven by 43-year-old homicide detective, Christoper Sweeney, who fired several shots through his car window.
Sweeney was stopped on the corner of Willits Road near Holme Avenue in Northeast Philly. Jones’ family said he was wearing a reflective vest, unarmed, and may have been trying to offer roadside assistance.
"That’s what we’re looking for some type of answer- -justice. Say something by you not saying something you are protecting him," said Robert's brother, Michael Jones.
Sweeney, a veteran of the force, is on administrative duty, said police and has not been charged.
Family demands answers after man fatally shot by off-duty detective in Philadelphia
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Claiming "he knows quite a bit" about the ongoing investigation, D.A. Larry Krasner would not provide details in a morning press conference on gun violence.
"We place a very, very high premium on getting all the facts and applying the law to all the facts sometimes you can do that in a week, sometimes overnight, sometimes it can take more than a year," said DA Krasner.
Krasner, who said he may have more to say in 30 days, was pressed on whether his CARES unit, focused on helping survivors of homicide, has offered assistance to the Jones’ family.
"We are frequently in touch with lawyers involved in this case we have been in a number of other cases. These are personal injury lawyers," said Krasner.
Attorney Johnson said, "we haven’t heard a deafening word from a single person."