On the evening of February 13, 2009, Philadelphia Police Officer John Pawlowski, 25, responded with a partner to a reported dispute in the Logan section. A cab driver had called 911 after a man warned If you call police, I shoot you plus the police. The man, wearing a long black coat with his hands concealed in his pockets, ignored commands to show his hands and fired a .357 handgun through his coat pocket.

One bullet struck Pawlowski’s ballistic vest but a second entered his chest above the vest. Mortally wounded, he returned fire and struck the shooter, later identified as Rasheed Scrugs, before collapsing. Pawlowski was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center and died of his wounds. Scrugs was wounded, taken into custody and charged with murder and attempted murder.

Scrugs later pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. Jurors were unable to unanimously impose the death penalty in November 2010, so the judge sentenced Scrugs to life without parole; he also received 20 to 40 years for the attempted murder of Pawlowski’s partner. If anyone knew Officer Pawlowski, his family, or witnessed the Logan-area incident that night, please share what was seen or remembered.