Posted on 08/22/2007 7:34:16 PM PDT by RDTF
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.
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(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Nope,sorry.If I was on the jury my vote would be not guilty.Forty years? That’s crazy.
As much as cop killers (and attempted cop killers) turn my stomach... this is bordering on ludicrous.
Yeah, if this doesn’t constitute double jeopardy what does?
Yep, one would think that there are better uses for the resources that would be tied up prosecuting this case.
He didn’t spend his life in a wheelchair slowly dying like his victim.
While my father was a patient there, he introduced me to this gentleman. If the obit mentions amatuer radio, it has to be him.
Barclay was the victim
The criminal, as despicable as he was, served his time and is done with punishment. The DA should drop this fast. 40 years? That’s a load of BS.
He already served a sentence related to the injury. Now they want to punish him for the death as well? If that works, you should be able to do this to every murderer, because in the miliseconds before the vic died, he was also grievously injured. This is two bites at the same apple.
For just trivia: Civil War hero Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, after the war, served as Governor of Maine (4 times) and President of Bowdoin College. He died from his war wounds in 1914.
I could go either way. They did not say what this guy has done with his life since the shooting. If he has turned into a solid citizen then I would be likely to give him a pass. If he’s been a scumbag all his life “lock his ass up”
Hmmm. That’s an intersting and tempting position.
While it is rare to die of such old injuries, it is not unheard of. If you have to convict the guy on charges of murder, sentence him to time served and let him go.
Sorry, I misread it.
I can't believe it would be possible to charge him with murder, but maybe some other charge or even a civil suit.
“If he has turned into a solid citizen then I would be likely to give him a pass. If hes been a scumbag all his life lock his ass up”
The first sentence was too light but 40 years is too long. If our govt starts doing this then whats to stop them from doing other things retroactively? The rule of law is breaking down and the politicians are pushing it along.
The suspect was arrested in 1966 and charged with aggravated assault. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He has since been released. He was arrested by the Philadelphia Police Department after Patrolman Barclay died, however the District Attorney has yet to make a decision on formal charges.
http://www.policeone.com/news/1343397/
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