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*IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN
ONE FOR THE GOOD GUYS. 44


A gunman who lay in wait and murdered three police officers responding to a domestic violence call at his house has been sentenced to death.

Richard Poplawski, wearing a bulletproof vest, met the officers at his doorway and shot two of them in the head - gunning down a third who later came to their aid.

His mother called out the police when an argument about his puppies urinating on the floor escalated out of control.

The killer only surrendered because he was bleeding from a leg wound inflicted by one of the officers during the horrific four-hour gun battle on his quiet Pittsburgh street.
Killer: Richard Poplawski, in white shirt, has been sentenced to death for murdering three police officers

Crime scene: A four-hour gun battle ensued after Richard Poplawski killed three police officers

A Pittsburgh jury convicted the 24-year-old on Saturday of three counts of first-degree murder, and 25 lesser crimes, for his actions on April 4, 2009.

The three slain officers were Eric Kelly, 41, Stephen Mayhle, 29, and Paul Sciullo II, 37.

Kelly had been on the force for 14 years, while Mayhle and Sciullo had been officers for two years each.

Another officer, Timothy McManaway, was shot in the hand and a fifth broke his leg on a fence.

A mass of rank-and-file officers congregated outside the courtroom during the gunman's sentencing on Tuesday.

'This was an opportunity for them to see the face of Richard Poplawski which, for us, was the face of evil,' said Assistant Chief Paul Donaldson.

The jury spent just 90 minutes deliberating whether to sentence Poplawski to death or life in prison.

They decided to send him to death row, where he will wait until the governor signs a warrant for him to die by lethal injection.

Marched into court: Richard Poplawski was convicted by a Pittsburgh jury of three counts of murder

Afterwards, sheriff's deputies guarded the slain officers' family members, who told the media through the district attorney's office that they did not wish to comment.

Despite that, Clarence Peays, Kelly's brother-in-law, spoke briefly with The Associated Press, saying he thought the swift verdict sent a message.

Thr 48-year-old said: 'It shows me that the evidence was overwhelming.It's going to take time to have closure, but with time it will heal.'
Trembled: Richard Poplawski's mother Margaret was seen shaking in the courthouse as her son was told he had been sentenced to death

Tribute: Parents of killed officer Paul Sciullo Jr walk past a police guard of honour at Richard Poplawski's sentencing

The jury rejected attorney for the penalty phase of the trial William Brennan's defence that he had no previous criminal record and had been raised in a dysfunctional home.

Brennan tried to suggest Poplawski was warped by having grandfather Charles Scott, who died earlier this year, as his 'sole male role model' after his parents divorced when he was a toddler.

Murdered: Police officers Paul Sciullo (left) and Stephen Mayhle (right) were gunned down by Poplawski

Witnesses testified his grandfather drank cases of beer daily and was a racist who threatened people with guns.

He was said to have raped one of his sisters-in-law and cruelly treated his daughter, Poplawski's mother.

Margaret Poplawski then developed a history of psychological problems, which the relatives attributed to her father, and had tried to kill herself several times.

But Allegheny County Deputy District Attorney Mark Tranquilli blunted the testimony by saying most of Scott's violent behaviour happened before Poplawski was born.

Reports at the time of the incident, when he peppered officers with fire from his 12-gauge shotgun, .357 Magnum and AK-47 assault rifle, said more than 100 rounds were fired by elite police teams and Poplawski.

Friends revealed he had only recently been laid off from his job at a glass factory, and had previously been kicked out of a Marines boot camp after throwing a food tray at a drill sergeant.

Poplawski will be sentenced for the remainder of his charges, including nine counts each of attempted murder and assault on a law officer, on September 6.

Even though he has been sentenced to death, public defender Lisa Middleman said Poplawski would appeal, which could delay the execution for a number of years.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...z1Qi1nLBtK


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Messages In This Thread
*IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN - by Lady Cop - 07-29-2010, 02:59 AM
RE: IN THE LINE OF DUTY - by Lady Cop - 07-29-2010, 05:20 PM
RE: IN THE LINE OF DUTY - by Lady Cop - 07-30-2010, 11:49 AM
RE: IN THE LINE OF DUTY - by QueenBee - 07-30-2010, 12:08 PM
RE: *IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN - by Adub - 03-25-2011, 11:29 AM
RE: *IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN - by Adub - 03-25-2011, 05:17 PM
RE: *IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN - by Lady Cop - 06-29-2011, 07:08 PM
RE: *IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN - by JsMom - 12-23-2011, 01:35 PM
RE: *IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN - by JsMom - 04-13-2012, 06:07 AM
RE: *IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN - by crash - 05-13-2014, 05:37 AM
RE: *IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN - by Cutz - 05-31-2014, 04:29 PM
RE: *IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN - by Cutz - 12-21-2014, 08:19 AM
RE: *IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN - by Cutz - 12-24-2014, 08:27 AM
RE: *IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN - by d505 - 02-17-2015, 12:50 AM
RE: *IN THE LINE OF DUTY* OFFICER DOWN - by d505 - 07-18-2016, 02:32 AM