Suburban prosecutors memorialize slain Philly cop on 6th anniversary of his death

Prosecutors in four suburban counties gathered Friday to memoralize a Philadelphia police officer who was killed in the line of duty six years ago.

District attorneys in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties simultaneously paused for 99 seconds of silence at their respective courthouses in memory of Police Sgt. Robert Wilson III on the anniversary of his death. The span of silence was inspired by his badge number, 9990, said Delaware County First Assistant District Attorney Tanner Rouse, a former Philadelphia prosecutor who knew Wilson and organized Friday’s memorial.

“People always say Rob was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Rouse said. “But he was exactly where he needed to be. He answered the call, and his behavior saved lives that day.”

Wilson, 30, was gunned down on March 5, 2015, inside a GameStop at Hope Plaza, a shopping center on Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia. He had taken a break from his patrol amid a powerful winter storm to buy a PlayStation 4 for his son’s upcoming birthday.

As Wilson was paying for the video game console, two men entered the store, drew their guns, and announced a robbery. They fired at Wilson, hiding behind shelves in the store as the officer drew their fire away from other customers.

The gunmen shot Wilson multiple times — including after he had fallen to the ground — and tried to flee, but were arrested moments later by Wilson’s partner, Officer Damien Stevenson, who had been sitting outside in the squad car he shared with Wilson.

Carlton Hipps and Ramone Williams pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Wilson’s death three years later and in a controversial deal with District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office, were sentenced to life in prison and spared the death penalty.

Wilson was buried in Fernwood Cemetery in Lansdowne. He was posthumously promoted to sergeant, and was awarded the Medal of Valor by then-President Barack Obama during a ceremony at the White House.