Suspect In Police Custody Shoots Himself

The Associated Press reports that a person who had been stopped for traffic offenses was wanted for other violations. He was searched and drugs were found on his person. The person was cuffed with his hands behind his back and placed in the rear of a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania police cruiser.

While in the back of the cruiser, the prisoner retrieved a weapon that the patdown had not revealed, and used it to shoot himself in the head. It was not likely that he'd found the weapon in the cruiser as the Philadelphia police use one piece plastic seats.

The takehome for Iowa officers is significant. The offender's head could just as easily have been yours. In fact, one of my correspondents reported that he failed to properly search a juvenile before transporting him to the police station, at which point a fully loaded revolver was found concealed in the kid's pants. That person decided that maybe it was safer to become an attorney.

Relax. You don't know him.