New Castle County Police Officer Stabbed to Death
New Castle County police officer Joe Szczerba was stabbed to death in a fight with a suspect he was taking into custody early this morning, officials have told the News Journal. Officer Szczerba was responding to a call about a disorderly person in the Penn Acres neighborhood near New Castle, at the corner of East Roosevelt Avenue and Fithian Drive. Somehow, as he was taking the disorderly suspect into custody, the suspect stabbed him. The officer was rushed to Christiana where he was pronounced dead. The disorderly suspect is in custody.
Senator Coons:
“Joe Szczerba was a good person and a great police officer, and I was shocked and deeply saddened to get the call that he had been murdered in the line of duty late last night. Annie and I are heartbroken by the loss. His wife and extended family, as well as the entire New Castle County Police Department, will be in our thoughts, in our prayers, and in our hearts as they cope with this tragic loss.”
New Castle County Executive Paul G. Clark:
“I met with members of his family, conveyed my profound condolences to them and assured them of my prayers and support in the difficult days ahead. My deepest sympathies go out to the family, to his fellow officers, and to all who knew him. We mourn the loss of this brave and dedicated public servant, and I ask everyone to pray for him and his loved ones.
This tragic event is a grim reminder of the danger our police men and women – along with our paramedics and other first responders — put themselves in every day to protect their fellow citizens. We owe them a deep debt of gratitude for putting their lives on the line for us.”
RIP 🙁
Any thoughts on why they havent revealed any info on the suspect yet? Kinda strange.
More than strange. More like an outrage.
I’m not sure I follow. Is there a suggestion of some impropriety in the way this is being handled?
Geez, what do you make of it? Why are they being so silent? Could it be a minor?
Jason, Theres a story in the NJ today about it. Ive spoken to several high ranking police officers and they all agree its unheard of for the warrant to be sealed, no info on suspect, and no one is saying where hes being held or if hes been arrested. According to the NJ, he hasnt been before a judge yet. Im not implying any impropriety, its just being handled in a weird manner. We have a NCC officer that was murdered almost four days ago and we dont even know the name of the suspect yet? Please put a link up. Thanks
Here is the link. This is very strange according to the article. The suspect injured one bystander and three other officers. And yet, information of the suspect has not been released to the PD’s office.
Could be a minor, but state code allows even thier names be released if they committed a felony.
Could be a illegal immigrant and maybe they havent identified him yet?
Could be in a local hospital?
Im just trying to speculate all scenerios.
I have no idea what’s going on, but it ought to be illegal. There is no situation I can imagine that would justify not releasing this information to the public as soon as possible — particularly if, as the public defender’s office seemed to indicate in this morning’s TNJ story, he has no legal representation.
Until sometime in the early ’80s, police reports were public information; at some point they became restricted. What happens when the public has no access to such information was illustrated by the shameful whitewash by the AG’s office in the Derek Hale case. We do not have the recourse of being able to read the officers’ reports, leaving us powerless.
When police forces have no transparency, you live in a police state, in which police can close ranks to protect each other, to the detriment of the public. It’s a goddamned disgrace and, again, ought to be illegal. Transparency in law enforcement is even more important than transparency in other branches of government.
AGREED. It will be interesting to see why they with held this info.
The suspect has been charged and named:
http://wdel.com/story.php?id=37631
Thanks for your last post Geez!
Me and the colonel have been trying since Derek’s assassination to pry those reports out of the “powers that be”.
A cover up is a cover up and a POLICE STATE is close to what we have here in good old Delaware.
And don’t forget the DELAWARE WAY!