Remembering
a fallen hero

By Hayden Mitman
Times Staff Writer

At the intersection of Almond and Schiller streets, amid the memorial of photos and candles and mementos that paid tribute to his policeman brother, Floyd Liczbinski wiped his eyes, understandably distraught, but he wanted to tell the people of Port Richmond something.
"I want to thank everyone who came to his aid," said Floyd, appreciative of residents’ efforts on Saturday to try to save the life of his brother, Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski.
Floyd Liczbinski shook the hands of some of those residents and law-enforcement officials, then stepped back into the crowd, a throng that was solemn and mournful and had gathered to honor a policeman slain while confronting a band of robbery suspects.
About 250 turned out at Monday night’s impromptu memorial, near the spot where Liczbinski succumbed to gunshots fired from an assault weapon allegedly aimed at him by Howard Cain, a bank-robbery suspect who later was shot to death during a confrontation with police.
Residents had come to the Port Richmond vigil in a show of appreciation for Liczbinski, a 12-year veteran who was assigned to the 24th Police District. The policeman, who would have turned 40 on Tuesday, lived in the Northeast’s Burholme section with his wife Michelle and their three children.
Along the street, residents took a moment to reflect on mementos and tributes that composed the memorial, which started to take shape hours after the policeman’s death.
"This is just devastating violence," Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey said while observing the crowd. "This is a tragedy for all of us."
Police officials and neighborhood activists discussed Liczbinski’s service to the community and the impact of his slaying on residents and his fellow officers. John McNesby, president of Lodge 5 of the Fraternal Order of Police, told the public of the massive manhunt underway to track down another suspect still at large, Eric DeShann Floyd.
"We want to thank the community for all their help. This morning, we put a call out for donations looking for information on this thug," said McNesby. "Within hours we had over $125,000 donated. We will not rest. We will not stop until this is done."
Cain, Floyd and a third man now in custody, Levon Warner, had been sought for the holdup of a Bank of America branch inside the Shop-Rite supermarket on Aramingo Avenue shortly before 11:30 Saturday morning. Liczbinski was shot multiple times when he encountered the trio while responding to the robbery call.
During Monday night’s gathering in Port Richmond, emotions ran so high that a distressed mourner fainted and had to be assisted by police. Others cried softly as members of the police department remembered their friend.
When Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Ross addressed the difficult job faced by all police officers, he told mourners that Liczbinski’s life should be remembered as a turning point in the campaign against violent crime. He hoped it would be remembered as a time when people stood up against violence on the streets of Philadelphia.
"When we go out in the morning, there’s no guarantee we will make it home that night," said Ross. "He was a fine officer. Let’s not look at this as a sorrowful event. Let’s look at this as a rallying point — a time where we got together to make this community better, make this city better."
Floyd Liczbinski and other family members arrived at one point to stand among the residents and police officers, and in particular to thank those who came to Stephen Liczbinski’s aid during those chaotic and distressing moments at Almond and Schiller.
One of those residents, Keith Petaccio, was still trying to deal with what he had witnessed on Saturday.
"You don’t know how tight this neighborhood is . . . if you fall and hurt yourself, someone will come to help," said Petaccio, 45, a Mercer Street resident who ran to Liczbinski’s aid. "I was at home and I heard gunshots. By the time I got outside I saw the (suspects’) van pulling away and I saw the officer on the ground. He had fallen out of his car, and we got rags to clean him up as much as we could. His arm was just hanging there. We wanted to give him mouth to mouth, but there was just so much blood."
Petaccio struggled to keep his composure as he recalled the frenzy of trying to keep the policeman alive. He called for help on a walkie-talkie in Liczbinski’s patrol car while he and another resident, 20-year-old Eric Krajewski, tried to administer CPR to the severely wounded officer.
"This never happens in our neighborhood; we want our children to learn right from wrong. If they don’t learn what is right, that’s when this happens," said Petaccio. "It felt like a lifetime but it happened so fast."
Krajewski’s father, Thomas, also was a witness to the shooting. His son, Krajewski said, did everything he could to try to save Liczbinski’s life.
"We heard the gunshots and ran out the door," the elder Krajewski said. "We saw the officer down and I went to grab the phone. My son and Keith (Petaccio) were putting pressure on the wounds when I called for an ambulance."
During Monday’s memorial, community activist C.B. Kimmins joined members of Liczbinski’s family in thanking the residents for their efforts.
"These men tried their best to save the sergeant," Kimmins said. "They never knew their lives would intersect with that of an officer in a police cruiser. But they are heroes because they did everything they could to save his life so that he could go home to his wife and children. These men came out without guns, without bullets, without protective armor . . . they came out to help save an officer, and we should applaud that."
Liczbinski’s wife Michelle also attended the neighborhood memorial, but she didn’t have words to express her grief. Floyd wrapped his arm around his sister-in-law as she waved to residents and mouthed the words "thank you."
Later, as the crowd began to dissipate, Kensington resident Jay Wiley, a member of the Top Cat Town Watch, reflected on how Stephen Liczbinski had affected his own life. He’d known the policeman for a number of years, he said, and was often touched by the officer’s kindness.
"I knew him a long time," said Wiley. "He was a friend of mine. He made me laugh. He made me feel like we needed to keep fighting for this city. With the help of the police commissioner and the mayor, we will stop all of this one day." ••
Reporter Hayden Mitman can be reached at 215-354-3124 or hmitman@phillynews.com