A family full
of thanks

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

Despite losing so much, the family of slain Philadelphia police Officer Chuck Cassidy has remained eminently thankful. Last week, they gathered at Cassidy’s old unit, the 35th district, to express their gratitude publicly.
Tony Conti, the brother-in-law who delivered a stirring eulogy at the officer’s Nov. 7 funeral service, again served as the family spokesman as Cassidy’s wife Judy, daughters Katie and Colby, son John and numerous other relatives joined police in a Nov. 14 memorial ceremony at the North Broad Street station.
Cassidy’s former colleagues dedicated a police sport-utility vehicle to the fallen officer with his picture adorning the SUV’s rear window and black ribbons overlapping its police decals. Cassidy drove the very same vehicle on Oct. 31, the day that an armed robber shot him in the head at a West Oak Lane doughnut shop. The officer died from his injuries on Nov. 1.
As last week’s ceremony continued, a police dispatcher was heard on the vehicle’s radio attempting to contact Cassidy by his call sign. The female operator uttered "35-Sam-3" several times but got no response.
Finally, a male voice was heard stating, "Thanks for a job well done. Take 35-Sam-3 off the board." Cassidy’s call sign was taken out of service.
His family hopes that the memory of the officer will continue to serve the city in a positive way. In the weeks since the tragedy, relatives have experienced an enormous outpouring of generosity from all segments of the community.
"This is our way to say thank you," Conti said.
The officer’s brother-in-law reflected upon the thousands of people who lined the funeral procession from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Center City to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham.
"The funeral procession went on forever, but we remember the faces of the people along the route," Conti said.
He also noted the many gifts of food from friends, neighbors and area businesses, as well as the many generous financial gifts to the Charles Cassidy Family Trust Fund.
"There have been endless contributions from children who came here and said, ‘I’m putting in my allowance,’ to Geno’s Steaks, who raised thousands of dollars," Conti said.
With help from the wide-scale support, relatives are enduring their grief.
"This family, our family, we’re doing as well as anybody could expect," Conti said. "If we could, we’d like to go back to October 30, skip Halloween and skip All Saints Day. But we can’t.
"Our family moves on. We have no other choice."
They’d like to see Cassidy’s death become a catalyst for a fundamental and enduring change in the community. They’d like to see it unify people against violence.
"Our commitment is every day we pray for safety in this city and we ask the government, the schools and the community to please do something to make our city safe for everyone," Conti said.
Sadly, less than a day earlier, yet two more police officers were wounded in the line of duty by a suspected drug dealer at a Frankford boarding house.
"We’re not going to solve (violence) overnight. It’s an ongoing process," said Northwest Division Inspector Joe Sullivan. "It’s a message we’re going to have to repeat many times before some people get it."
On the same day as the 35th Police District ceremony, a preliminary hearing for the man accused of murdering Cassidy was postponed. The hearing for 21-year-old John "Jordan" Lewis was rescheduled for Jan. 10. Lewis remains in jail without bail.
Also on Nov. 14, Lewis’ cousin, 24-year-old Hakim Glover, waived a preliminary hearing on charges that he obstructed justice and hindered Lewis’ apprehension by driving the murder suspect to Delaware days after the shooting.
Lewis then took a Greyhound bus to Miami, where he was captured in a homeless shelter on Nov. 6. Glover remains in jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
The Sheffield Tavern, at 4501 Sheffield Ave., will host a beef ’n’ beer benefit for the Cassidy Family Trust Fund on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 2 to 6 p.m. Tickets cost $30. Call 215-332-8886 for information. ••
William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com