# Officer Gary Skertski Philadelphia PA



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

Photo by NBC 10/IBS

Officer Gary Skertski

Philadelphia Officer Killed During Robbery

*Officer.com News*

The Officer Down Memorial Page has reported the Line of Duty Death of Philadelphia Officer Gary Skerski on May 8.

According to the Web site, Officer Skerski was shot and killed while responding to an armed robbery call at a cafe near the intersection of Arrott Avenue and Adams Avenue.

A patron in the cafe had called 911 to report the robbery. Officer Skerski, who was working an overtime detail for the department, responded to the scene. As he approached the door he was confronted by the suspect, who was exiting the cafe. The suspect immediately opened fire, striking Officer Skerski in the neck, and then fled on foot.

Officer Skerski was transported to Temple University Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds just before midnight.

The suspect remains at large.

Officer Skerski had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 16 years and was assigned to the 15th District. He is survived by his wife and two children.

_This story contains information from the Officer Down Memorial Page._


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

The Officer Down Memorial Page Remembers . . .






















Police Officer Gary Skerski 
*Philadelphia Police Department
Pennsylvania*
End of Watch: Monday, May 8, 2006

Biographical Info
*Age:* 46
*Tour of Duty:* 16 years
*Badge Number:* Not available

Incident Details
*Cause of Death:* Gunfire
*Date of Incident:* Monday, May 8, 2006
*Weapon Used*: Gun; Unknown type
*Suspect Info:* At large

Officer Skerski was shot and killed while responding to an armed robbery call at a cafe near the intersection of Arrott Avenue and Adams Avenue.

A patron in the cafe had called 911 to report the robbery. Officer Skerski, who was working an overtime detail for the department, responded to the scene. As he approached the door he was confronted by the suspect, who was exiting the cafe. The suspect immediately opened fire, striking Officer Skerski in the neck, and then fled on foot.

Officer Skerski was transported to Temple University Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds just before midnight.

The suspect remains at large.

Officer Skerski had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 16 years and was assigned to the 15th District. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Agency Contact Information
Philadelphia Police Department
One Franklin Square
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Phone: (215) 686-1776

* _Please contact the agency for funeral information_

*»* View this officer's Reflections*»* Leave a Reflection*»* List all officers from this agency*»* Update this memorial*»* Printer friendly view


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## spdawg0734 (Nov 25, 2004)

God rest his soul, it should also serve as a reminder to all of us and the public, that we stand ready to face death even if we are on a detail. We are the ones who run towards dangers when others run away. My heart goes out to his family. 
Stay Safe, Stay alert, Stay Focused.


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*Pa. officer killed responding to bar robbery*
Go to Gary Skerski's Officer Down page

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA- A police officer was fatally shot while responding to a robbery at a bar.

Officer Gary Skerski, 46, was heading to the rear entrance of the bar in the city's Frankford section about 10 p.m. Monday when a man came out and fired a shotgun blast, striking him in the neck.
"This officer didn't appear like he even had an opportunity to pull his weapon," Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said.

Skerski was rushed to Temple University Hospital, where he died about midnight.

Police were preparing to search a nearby cemetery Tuesday morning for possible evidence. No arrests were immediately made.

Skerski, a 16-year city police veteran, was working overtime for the department's Operation Safe Streets.

He is survived by his wife and two children, officials said.

"You have a wife and two young children, a brother, a mother, a father," said a shaken Mayor John Street, emerging from the hospital. "They're all up there now, and their lives will never be the same again."








_Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed._


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