My dad and old repo partner foiled robbery Thursday
 

Off-duty officer foils robbery try in Kensington

Police Officer Joe Shookla was being hailed as a hero Friday for foiling the armed robbery of a Kensington gas station. Shookla was off duty Thursday when he dropped by to say hello to retired Officer Bill Clark at Clark's used auto shop at Frankford and Torresdale Avenues. About 1:15 p.m., Shookla and Clark heard yelling across the street at a Riggins gas station. A man was spraying Mace into the face of an attendant who was carrying $8,000 in deposits to a bank, Clark said. Shookla chased the would-be bandit up Frankford Avenue, caught up with him after a 100-yard chase, and held him until on-duty officers arrived. Police charged Michael Tasco, 52, with attempted robbery and related counts, a department spokeswoman said. "I consider him a hero," Clark said of Shookla. - Sam Wood

Off-duty officer foils robbery try in Kensington | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/24/2010

Good job guys. :)

PS: Despite what the article says, it was my 62yo old man (former semi pro free safety) who caught and tackled the guy.

You are over 40 and your father is 52??

Best,
Tom

Sorry, 62. My bad, i saw the "52" in the article and it just came out when i typed....

PS, i am not quite "over" 40 yet. :-P

cops never retire, they just end up doing the job for free after a while

And usually with a bad back, bad knee, bad arm, scars, yuk.

Looks like they were in the right place at the right time!

That corner is often the "right" place. I've twice stopped crimes and once held a man at gun point at that very corner/intersection back when i used to work for dad.

The most amazing part about the above story- my dad was here 2-3 hours ago on his bike and never even told me. His wife called asking to talk to him after he'd already left, and she told me about it because she didn't find out until she read about her husband in the newspaper either.

He's something else, my old man.

PS: Repoing is what made Joey want to become a cop to begin with. He was a skinny teenager when we started working together. He earned his courage out there with me at 2 and 3 in the morning in North Philly popping repos. ;)

when was you old man a philly cop, my old man was on vice in the mid to late 60's before he moved on to other things

Seventies and Eighties.