Police: Philly sergeant lied about being shot
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Sgt. Robert Ralston, 46, confessed to making up the story and
will have to pay the costs of the massive manhunt that followed,
Commissioner Charles Ramsey said. Ralston has been suspended with
intent to dismiss, but will not face criminal charges because
granting immunity was the only way to obtain his confession, Ramsey
said at a news conference.
The case was especially troubling, Ramsey said, because Ralston
identified his supposed attacker as black. When Ralston confessed
Tuesday, he said he made the claim so his story would be more
believable, Ramsey said.
"He wanted the story to be consistent with the environment he
was in," a largely African-American neighborhood, Ramsey said. "I
am troubled by this whole situation. ... He violated the trust the
people have given him."
The commissioner said investigators aren't really sure why
Ralston intentionally shot himself.
"He did not give a reason for doing that ... he denied that he
was trying to get attention," Ramsey said. "He said he first
considered shooting himself in the chest, but he thought better of
it."
A telephone listing for Ralston had been disconnected and he
could not immediately be reached for comment by The Associated
Press.
Ralston, a 21-year veteran, told police he was on patrol in the
city's Overbrook section early on April 5 when he stopped two black
men for questioning along some railroad tracks.
He told investigators that one of the men put a gun to his head,
but that he knocked the weapon away and suffered a graze wound to
the shoulder when it fired, investigators said. Both men fled, he
said.
Police combed the neighborhood for hours looking for the men.
Officers never stopped or arrested anyone matching Ralston's
description of the gunman, Ramsey said.
Investigators quickly found inconsistencies in his story.
Forensic evidence didn't match Ralston's story, and gunpowder on
Ralston's shirt matched the kind of powder used by the department,
Ramsey said.
The Fraternal Order of Police had put out a $10,000 reward for
information leading to the alleged suspect.
On Tuesday, FOP President John McNesby condemned the sergeant's
actions, saying they took away from the good work of police
officers.
"Nobody knows what he was thinking to do something like that,"
McNesby said. "He wasted a lot of time, a lot of manpower. It
could really stir up a lot of stuff in the city when you don't
really need it."
District Attorney Seth Williams commended Ramsey's decision to
suspend Ralston and said the goal was getting to the truth.
"Unfortunately, we could only arrive at the truth through his
statement given to the police and that statement cannot be used
against him," Williams said. "We took a badge and a gun from a
person whose actions proved him unfit for either."