The Manhunt Is On

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Photograph of John "Jordan" Lewis taken in July 2007.

Philadelphia police say the man accused of murdering veteran police officer Charles "Chuck" Cassidy, 54 may have fled the city on a bus.

Through photo identification, cops say they pinpointed a 21-year-old Philadelphia man named John "Jordan" Lewis as the gunman who shot Officer Cassidy in the head on October 31, 2007. An intense manhunt for the accused cop killer has taken over the city -- but cops say they have new information leading them to believe Lewis may have fled Philadelphia on a bus heading South.

Additionally, cops say they found two guns in the neighborhood where Lewis lives -- and one of them was the same weapon stolen from Officer Cassidy by his attacker immediately after the officer's murder.

A Ruthless Murder

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Photograph of John "Jordan" Lewis taken in June 2006.

According to police, Lewis is the man seen in surveillance video entering a Dunkin' Donuts near 66th and Broad, then waiving a gun around as he began to rob the store. When Officer Cassidy walked into the robbery in progress, cops say he didn't have a chance to do anything before Lewis ruthlessly shot him in the head and took off.

Fellow officers rushed Officer Cassidy to Albert Einstein Medical Center where he underwent emergency surgery. He was in critical condition until the following morning, when he died from his injuries.

Cops say this wasn't the first time Lewis robbed that particular Dunkin' Donuts. According to police, Lewis robbed the same store on Sept. 18, 2007. Police never caught up with him. But now, he's wanted for a lot more than robbery. He's now additionally charged with Homicide and weapons charges.

Police Mourn One Of Their Own

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Photo of John "Jordan" Lewis taken in August 2005.

A 25-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, Officer Cassidy would stop by the Dunkin' Donuts at least twice a day. Family members issued a statement: "Obviously we are in mourning. We are deeply appreciative of all the support and prayers from the police, the clergy, the community and many folks we don't even know."

"This is a sad day for the police department, this is a sad day for the citizens of Philadelphia," Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said during a Thursday morning news conference.

Police say Lewis fled the scene with Officer Cassidy's gun. He is described as a 6-foot-tall black male, weighing in at 270 lbs. Cops say he has the letters N.P. tattooed on his left hand and the letters H.P. tattooed on his right hand. According to cops, those letters stand for North Philly and Hunting Park -- two neighborhoods Lewis frequents. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and khakis during the robbery-murder.

Capture And Closure

Courtesy: City of Miami Police Officer Carlos Saavedra
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For friends, colleagues, and family of murdered Philadelphia police officer Chuck Cassidy, closure was impossible while the intense search for his suspected killer, John "Jordan" Lewis, was underway. But now, the healing process can finally begin -- because the accused cop killer is in custody.

In the days following Officer Cassidy's murder at a Philadelphia Dunkin' Donuts, police say they used their feelings of loss and used them to fuel the fight to find the man responsible.

Cops had surveillance video of the killer, and through photo identification, they say they pinpointed 21-year-old Lewis as the gunman. Lewis allegedly stole the fallen officer's gun after shooting him in the head. Cops say they found Officer Cassidy's gun -- and one other -- in the neighborhood where Lewis was living. But Lewis was nowhere to be found.

Police say they received information on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2007 that Lewis may have boarded a bus and was possibly headed to Florida -- so cops shifted their investigation from Philadelphia to the south, sending Be On The Lookout alerts to agencies in the area and the media about about the potential killer on the loose.

A "Dodgy Situation"

Investigators' instincts and information were spot on -- and it was only a matter of time before tipsters down south fished out Lewis.

According to police, on the morning of Nov. 6, 2007, investigators in Miami, Fla. received information from someone who had seen the accused cop killer's story, and who recognized Lewis. The tipster told cops Lewis was at a the Rescue Mission shelter in Miami.

Miami police say they responded to the tip and set up a perimeter around the shelter. But there was a slight problem. The people who run the shelter told cops Lewis was in the chapel attending a prayer service -- and he was with about 100 other people at the time.

Despite the situation, cops coordinated with the Rescue Mission workers and were able to take down Lewis without incident. He was taken into custody around 6:50 a.m.

Now, Philadelphia police say they plan to move forward, mourning the loss of a veteran police officer and honoring him with both private and public funeral services.