Report: Cop not at fault in death

The death of a drag-show performer who suffered a blow to the head on a Center City street was not the fault of a police officer who dropped her off minutes earlier, according to a panel that oversees complaints against police.

However, the Police Advisory Commission said that officers must ensure the safety of anyone to whom they provide a "courtesy ride" home, and suggested that guidelines be established for when police should give such rides.

The commission reviewed witness interviews, police logs, 911 transcripts and other evidence before issuing its report yesterday on the slaying of Nizah Morris.

Morris, 47, who was born a man but lived as a woman, was found unconscious and bleeding at 16th and Walnut streets on Dec. 22, 2002, after being dropped off by a police officer who gave her a ride from the Key West Bar, on Juniper Street near Chancellor.

She died two days later, on Christmas Eve, of a skull fracture from a single blow to the head. Her death was ruled a homicide.

Morris' mother, Roslyn Wilkins, settled a federal wrongful-death lawsuit against the city in 2004. A suit is pending against the bar.