Police-involved shooting with 109 shots stirs memories of 1992 case

The shooting of Christopher Sowell, who died when nine police officers fired 109 rounds at him on Wednesday night in West Philadelphia, stirs memories of a case from 24 years before - and less than a mile away.

In that instance, eight police officers fired more than 90 shots at Charles Matthews, killing the 54-year-old man who was known in his West Philadelphia neighborhood as "Window Washing Charlie."

According to news reports from the time, police were called to Matthews' house on the 800 block of South 56th Street on June 26, 1992, for reports that he was intoxicated and brandishing a gun.

When police arrived at his house, Matthews came to the door with an unloaded gun in his hand and ignored repeated orders from officers to drop the weapon, according to news reports.

While it was initially believed that Matthews fired at officers and hit one of them in his hand, a grand jury later found that Matthews couldn't have shot his unloaded gun and that the injured officer was accidentally shot by another policeman.

After the officer was hit by gunfire, Matthews went into his home. When he appeared at a window, officers on scene fired at him repeatedly, hitting Matthews at least 21 times, news reports said.

According to a grand jury report cited in previous news reports, among the eight officers who fired at Matthews that day was an officer named Richard Ross, who shot 18 times, and an officer named James Clark, who shot 14 times.

Lauren Hitt, spokeswoman for Mayor Kenney, confirmed Sunday that those officers are now-Commissioner Richard Ross and now-Homicide Capt. James Clark.

She released the following statement, attributed to Ross:

"It is a tragedy whenever there is a loss of life, regardless of circumstance. I have learned a great deal since that day 24 years ago, and I believe that that experience, and all those I've had in the two decades since, have made me a better Commissioner for our police department during these challenging times."

Protests and demonstrations against police occurred in the wake of Matthews' shooting. One of the officers on scene, Sgt. Anthony Brasten, was twice arrested and twice acquitted of manslaughter in connection with Matthews' death.

Following his acquittals, Brasten filed a civil suit against the city and then-District Attorney Lynne Abraham in which he claimed that he was singled out for prosecution because he was white and the only officer charged. Brasten lost his suit.

The city paid out $965,769 to settle a wrongful-death suit filed by Matthews' brother.

In Sowell's case, police said he went on a "violent rampage" in West Philadelphia shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday. Police said Sowell choked his 12-year-old daughter, stabbed his 8-year-old son, stabbed a 13-year-old boy, slashed a 70-year-old woman in the face, and punched a 42-year-old woman.

Ross said the call came in to police as reports of screams and shots fired, so officers believed they were dealing with an armed gunman. When Sowell, 32, came out of a house on Cobbs Creek Parkway near Webster Street, officers repeatedly ordered him to take his hands out of his pockets, police said.

When he did so "abruptly" with an unknown object in one of his hands, the nine officers opened fire, Ross said. Police have not disclosed how many of the 109 rounds that were fired struck Sowell.

Ross said police found a cellphone, but not a gun, on Sowell.

Police and Sowell's family said they believed his rampage was fueled by drug use.

At a news conference Friday, Ross said the number of shots fired was "a significant cause of concern," and that the shooting was possibly a case of "contagious gunfire."

The case is being investigated by Internal Affairs and will be reviewed the District Attorney's Office. As is standard in police-involved shootings, all officers involved have been placed on desk duty while the investigation is ongoing.

Kelvyn Anderson, executive director of the Police Advisory Commission, who will sit on the use-of-force review board that looks at Sowell's case, said anytime a large number of rounds are discharged, there are tactical concerns. He said he's looking forward to obtaining the full report and understanding what drew the officers to the scene and what informed their decisions.

As to why there has been little or no public outrage in Sowell's case as there was in Matthews' case, Anderson said it's difficult to say. "You can conjecture that in a case where someone has injured several people, including children, that likely changes people's attitudes in terms of the officers' response," he said. "Obviously, we have a serious public-safety concern that a person who is on a rampage and injures his own child is a threat that, in many people's minds, must be stopped."

Sowell's death was the fourth fatal police-involved shooting this year.

farrs@phillynews.com215-854-4225