Accused killer who walked out of jail surrenders

A murder defendant who was mistakenly released from the Delaware County prison Monday night and rode off in a black SUV with his girlfriend surrendered this afternoon to police in Philadelphia.

Taaqi "Fame" Brown, 21, who was charged with a murder in Upper Darby, walked into the 35th Police District in North Philadelphia with his father about 12:30 p.m., said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.

He said Brown's father had called Northwest Detectives saying his son feared he would be killed by police, Chitwood said, adding the detectives suggested he'd be safe if he gave himself up. Northwest Detectives are based at the 35th District.

Brown walked out of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Thornton after he was given the paperwork for another inmate with a similar name who supposed to be releaded.

He drove away in an SUV driven by his girlfriend.

"Our guy - our murderer - is told he is going to be released at 9 o'clock and gets someone to pick him up," Chitwood said earlier. "About an hour later, they discovered they released the wrong guy."

Brown is now also facing charges of escape according to the district attorney's office.

"I want to know everything that happened here," said G. Michael Green, district attorney. Green said he was frustrated a man charged with murder "walked out the front door" of the prison.

"It was just a human error," said Chitwood, whose department arrested Brown on murder and other charges.

Brown, whose last home was in Germantown, was awaiting trial for the May 2, 2009 murder of Aaron Kearney in Upper Darby.

Kearney was shot and killed in front of about 100 people on a playground. Police say he was not the intended target but his friend was.

Chitwood previously has described Brown and codefendant Thomas "Nef" Gregory as urban terrorists.

The shooting occurred about 5 p.m. on May 2, 2009 at the Second Ward Playground, near Greenwood and Crosley avenues, in Upper Darby's Stonehurst section.

Police believed Gregory and Brown were angry about the theft of drugs from Long Lane stash house and believed Kearney's friend was responsible.

A verbal and physical argument, in which Kearney, 19, helped to defend his friend, escalated to a point where a total of 11 shots were fired by one of the alleged assailants. Only Kearney was hit.

The following week, Kearney's funeral at the Valley Forge Memorial Gardens, in King of Prussia, descended into chaos when the intended target showed up, police said.

More than 100 people were running around the cemetery, with about 30 of them fighting, police said at the time. One man was arrested for a gun violation.